Seeing is believing: stakeholders visit Latvian wetland firsthand
On April 22nd – International Earth Day – Pasuales Dabas Fonds, in collaboration with the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), organized an in-person event as part of BaltCOP (the Baltic Catchment Officer Project). The event brought together several dozen project stakeholders to learn about the creation of wetlands at the Mežacīruļi farm in the Jelgava region.
The event participants had the opportunity to learn about wetland solutions in person with the farm owner, Juris Cīrulis, and LBTU Associate Professor and Lead Researcher Linda Grinberg. They shared their experiences about the wetland creation process and their importance. During the event, participants not only had the opportunity to see constructed wetlands in person, but also got to ask questions directly to the experts – something that the attendees took advantage of very actively.
The knowledge and data gained from “Mežacīruļi” will help develop an innovative digital tool within the framework of the Baltcop project, which will facilitate wetland planning and creation for other landowners in Latvia. “Mežacīruļi” wetland has been created to reduce pollution caused by plant nutrient runoff and also purify other wastewater. It is the first demonstration area of this kind in the Baltics, where LBTU researchers are conducting measurements to assess the effectiveness of wetlands. The farm has already won the WWF award “Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year”, which confirms its sustainable approach.
“I am pleased with the long-standing cooperation with Juris Cīruli and the Mežacīruļi farm. Their openness and willingness to share the experience they have gained as pioneers in wetland construction have helped many people better understand this environmentally and water-friendly practice. Although the Mežacīruļi wetland was constructed decades ago, I hope that the time has finally come when this will finally become a common practice in Latvia, not an exception, and we will work on this within the framework of the BaltCOP project,” emphasizes Magda Jentgena, Head of the Pasuales Dabas Fonds’s Baltic Sea and Freshwater Programme in Latvia.
The event took place at a time when attention is also growing at the national level to improving water quality in Latvia – state support is currently available to landowners and farmers who want to improve water management in their territories, promote biodiversity and reduce pollution entering water bodies, including the Baltic Sea, by constructing artificial wetlands. The creation of artificial wetlands is not only a significant contribution to improving the environment, but also a practical step towards sustainable agriculture.
The support will cover the costs associated with the design and construction of wetlands, thus reducing the financial burden on landowners and motivating their involvement. This is a great opportunity for those who have so far wanted to, but have not been able to, start creating wetlands on their properties.
