This year, the Scientists' Night 2021 took place on 30 April from 18:00 to 23:00, gathering several thousand visitors. The project LIFE FOR SPECIES participated in the event with the test "Do you recognise specially protected species?" and also with a short online story about the species mentioned in the test.

Scientists' Night 2021 took place online, on the website www.zinatniekunakts2021.lv, gathering around 4,000 people who could watch 200 different online activities prepared by various Latvian universities and scientific institutions. The Institute of Biology of the University of Latvia and the LIFE FOR SPECIES project also participated in the event, offering to fill the test with the recognition of specially protected species in the exhibition area.

The test was offering images with 15 specially protected species of different organisms (plants, birds, lichens, insects etc.). During the live online stream of the Scientists' Night 2021 in the Sinistrum Hall, the project communication manager Maija Medne shared a short story about these species, revealing the correct answers to the test to everyone.

From the answers given in the test it can be concluded that there are specially protected species that are well-recognized by a larger audience (spreading Pasqueflower, floating Water-nut, hermit beetle), while recognition of seemingly popular species was not so successful (salmon, lesser spotted eagle).

The Project “Threatened species in Latvia: improved knowledge, capacity, data and awareness” LIFE19 GIE/LV/000857 LIFE FOR SPECIES is implemented with the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and Latvian State Regional Development Agency. This publication reflects only authors’ view. Neither CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) nor European Commission are responsible of any use that may be made, or the information contained therein.

On 4 March of this year, the opening seminar of the project LIFE FOR SPECIES took place on the Zoom platform, gathering more than 150 participants.

The launch seminar of the LIFE FOR SPECIES project, which took place on 4 March on the Zoom platform, was opened by several guests.

Ilona Mendziņa from the Department of Nature Protection of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Rector of the University of Latvia Indriķis Muižnieks, as well as the General Director of the Nature Protection Board bequeathed valuable greetings within the start of the project. Project manager Gunta Čekstere presented the project goals, objectives and expected results. Jēkabs Dzenis from the Nature Conservation Agency explained the role of the project in the improvement of the wild species protection system, while Viesturs Ķerus from the Latvian Ornithological Society offered to look at the red list of birds. The presentation part of the project team was concluded by Pēteris Evarts-Bunders from the Daugavpils University, highlighting the need to audit the list of rare and protected plants with several examples. Throughout the seminar, participants had the opportunity to fill in a questionnaire, sharing their experiences and observations about species that are disappearing in Latvia and becoming less common. The bird’s-eye primrose, Russian flying squirrel, as well as the European roller and Butterfly-orchids received the most votes. It is gratifying that the questionnaire mentioned representatives of various species groups: mosses, lichens, vascular plants, lichens, amphibians, fish, birds, mammals. In the discussion section of the seminar, discussions were held on the work and expected results of the project, the distribution and conservation status of the species, as well as the planned communication activities of the project.

Thank you to all the participants of the event!

The Project “Threatened species in Latvia: improved knowledge, capacity, data and awareness” LIFE19 GIE/LV/000857 LIFE FOR SPECIES is implemented with the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and Latvian State Regional Development Agency. This publication reflects only authors’ view. Neither CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) nor European Commission are responsible of any use that may be made, or the information contained therein.

In order to inform the general public about the aims, objectives and possible results of the project LIFE FOR SPECIES, on 4 March this year, at 11:00, there will be an online project launch seminar on the Zoom platform. All interested participants are invited to apply by filling in this application form by 1 March.  A link to participate in the online seminar will be sent to the email address provided in the application. A detailed seminar programme will follow shortly.

The aim of the LIFE FOR SPECIES project is to update the list of protected and endangered species, to develop scientifically-based criteria for assessing the degree of endangerment of species and determining the conservation status, as well as to prepare proposals for relevant changes in regulations. The current legislation governing specially protected species and micro-reserve species was issued about 20 years ago. Since then, scientific information has accumulated on the occurrence of species, threatening factors, as well as changes in the Latvian economy. In order to balance the interests of nature protection and economic activity, it is necessary to develop scientifically-based criteria for the definition of threatened species and to update the regulations that ensure the protection of species.

In order to achieve the aims set within the project, several objectives have been set:

The project is co-financed by the European Commission's LIFE Programme and the National Regional Development Agency. The project budget is EUR 2 706 291, of which EU funding makes up 55%. The project will run from 1 December 2020 to 31 December 2024.

The LIFE programme is the European Commission's financial instrument for the environment and climate, which aims to promote, update, develop and implement EU environment and climate policy by co-financing projects with European added value. The LIFE programme has been operating in Latvia since 2001 and with its support 50 projects in the field of environment and climate have been successfully implemented, acquiring more than EUR 40 000 000.

More than 20 years ago, the Institute of Biology of the University of Latvia (then the Institute of Biology of the Latvian Academy of Sciences) launched one of the first LIFE projects in Latvia – "Rare and endangered species of plants and animals (Red Data Book of Latvia)", project No.: LIFE94 TCY/LV/0579, within the framework of which the list of endangered and protected species was compiled, a total of 706 species, as well as 5 volumes of the Latvian Red Data Book on various species groups were published.


The Project “Threatened species in Latvia: improved knowledge, capacity, data and awareness” LIFE19 GIE/LV/000857 LIFE FOR SPECIES is implemented with the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and Latvian State Regional Development Agency. This publication reflects only authors’ view. Neither CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) nor European Commission are responsible of any use that may be made, or the information contained therein.

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