You might think we were done with 2021 award ceremonies for wildlife - think again! Today, the Latvian National Museum of Natural History points the spotlight on... the animal of the year!
On Monday, January 11 the 20th birthday of the female bear Ilzīte is celebrated at the Līgatne Nature Trails, representative from the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) Valters Kinna told LSM.
You have already been inspired by the insect of the year, perplexed by the plant of the year, boggled by the bird of the year and intrigued by the invertebrate of the year. But Latvia's Oscar-like awarding of various aspects of the natural world with special status for 2021 is far from over with confirmation of the winner in one of the most keenly contested categories of all: Moss Of The Year!
Estimates show that 2020 pandemic and its reduction measures caused an intensive consumption of plastic, according to environment expert Jānis Ulme, LSM reported January 7.
We have already reported on the bird of the year and plant of the year. Now, the (possibly) final drumroll welcomes the announcement of the long-awaited category, Latvian Insect Of The Year 2021.
The Latvian Botanical Society has on January 4 named the caraway (Carum carvi) as its plant of the year 2021.
The Latvian Ornithological Society (LOB) has on January 4 chosen the gray partridge (Perdix perdix) as its bird of the year for 2021, and is inviting the public to report sightings of the bird during the next twelve months.
The Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) told Vidzeme regional television January 3 that keen residents are mapping out bear populations in Latvia.
An oil spill that happened in Lithuanian waters is heading towards the Latvian coast, according to Lithuanian public media's LRT English-language service December 28.
Two popular nature trails near Rīga have been forced to close during the three-week "quiet period" imposed by the government, despite parallel urging that people should get as much fresh air as possible/
Rīga has introduced a new pre-holiday tradition this year: along with the Christmas tree in central Rīga, parks and neighborhoods have also been decorated with light installations, Latvian Television said December 19.
Latvian Television terrace has on December 15 opened its pop-up 'restaurant'' for songbirds. Livestream can be viewed on LSM.lv.
Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LLU) scientists have been studying COVID-19 prevalence in cats, Latvian Television reported December 12.
On Thursday, December 10, the Saeima in the final reading adopted amendments to the Gauja National Park Law so that landowners owners will be able to more easily fell trees that have become infected with the eight-toothed bark beetle (Ips typographus), a pest that is having an increasingly serious affect on spruce trees.
Rīga City Council has issued an appeal to Latvian residents not to head into the city's forests in search of a Christmas tree.
Cabinet and the Crisis Management Council decided November 17 to prohibit the importation of live mink and untreated mink skins into Latvia until the end of the emergency, LETA reported.
One would think that Latvian mushroom madness subsides come winter. Hardly the case: November being as warm as it is, there are still much-shrooms in the forest.
The Latvian Architecture Award 2020 Grand Prix was awarded to the reconstruction of buildings at Miesnieku street and its authors SIA ARHIS Arhitekti during the awards ceremony last week, organizers of the ceremony said November 3.
Single-use facial masks, both in size and weight, still account for a very small part of the total waste, but a big problem is incorrect disposal of them, Latvian Radio reported October 25.
The moose who was seen running errands in the center of Rīga Tuesday morning has been given a lift to forests near Liepāja, Latvian Television reported October 24.
Around two tonnes of young pike are being released into Lake Jugla on the outskirts of Rīga October 21 to re-stock the waters.
Eyewitness reports broke out Tuesday October 20 morning that a rather large individual was running along train tracks on the railway bridge in the center of Rīga.
On Thursday, October 8, a total of 26 tons of petroleum products were leaked from a railway tank at the East-West Transit oil base, the commander of the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) Vidzeme Brigade Janis Krastins said in an interview to Latvian Radio October 9.
Rīga Zoo representative Māris Lielkalns said October 1 that the Zoo has just welcomed several new arrivals - tigers, zebras, galagos, and a muntjac.
The Baltic Sea is severely affected by general threats like biodiversity loss and climate change, and by specific local pressures such as eutrophication, overfishing, elevated levels of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, and litter, in particular plastic waste. Concerned by the poor state of the Sea and its marine environment, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius has organising a high-level conference on possible actions to redress the situation, which takes place September 28.
In Demene, Daugavpils municipality, an unusual private zoo – Raptors Park – has opened its doors for visitors, zoo owner Aleksandrs Kalačovs told Latgale Regional Television September 26.
Krasta City SIA has announced the results of a public design competition for the territorial development vision for construction on the right bank of the Daugava (in the quarter between Salu Bridge, Krasta Street and Daugava (the territory of the historic Zvirgzdu Island).
On October 3, the Ķemeri National Park organizes a hike to an unexplored land - the Green Bog, said Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) representative Aiga Priede September 23.
By the end of this year, all municipalities in Latvia had to introduce mandatory separate collection of biodegradable waste. This week, the government decided to delay that deadline until 2023 because local governments haven't met those requirements, Latvian Radio reported September 10.