To promote the start of summer season on 6th of May in Kemeri National Park (KNP) annual Travel Day was held. This year it was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of KNP and the EU's most important environmental and climate protection program "LIFE" 25th anniversary. Travel Day was organized by the Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia in collaboration with KNP region's entrepreneurs, local authorities and the LIFE project implementers.

To outline the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action - LIFE program 25th  anniversary several activities were organized. Activities were offered by four LIFE projects - LIFE13 ENV/ E /000839 LIFE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, LIFE11 NAT/LV/000371 NAT-PROGRAMME; LIFE10 NAT/LV/000160 HYDROPLAN and LIFE14 CCM/LV/001103 LIFE RESTORE.

At the Parking lot near the Great Ķemeri moorland trail nature education workshop and LIFE Information point was set up. In workshop some educational games were offered, in order to educate people about ecosystem services theme. In LIFE Information point visitors could gain information about LIFE programme and its contribution in nature conservation of Latvia. Leaflets about implemented LIFE projects, actions and LIFE programme support was available.

In the workshop and Information point in total 53 participants were registered. Those who participated in interactive activities, some small give-aways were given.

LIFE project HYDROPLAN manager Jānis Ķuze organized a thematic hiking event "From the desert to an oasis - peat extraction incredible transformation in 10 years," telling about bogs and their bog regeneration processes. The project LIFE RESTORE experts Mrs. Mara Pakalne and Mrs. Laura Grīnberga showed the marshes, where peat extraction has been stopped before 35 years ago, but typical bog vegetation recovery is still not happening. Project NAT-PROGRAMME representative Mr. Jānis Šlūke led a bicycle ride around Kemeri and Smarde.

The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value.

LIFE began in 1992 and to date there have been four complete phases of the programme (LIFE I: 1992-1995, LIFE II: 1996-1999, LIFE III: 2000-2006 and LIFE+: 2007-2013). During this period, LIFE has co-financed some 3954 projects across the EU, contributing approximately €3.1 billion to the protection of the environment.

More about LIFE program anniversary: www.life-25.eu

PHOTO GALLERY
LIFE programme project home pages: ekosistemas.daba.gov.lv, hydroplan.daba.gov.lv, nat-programme.daba.gov.lv, restore.daba.gov.lv.