1

Boreal Restoration Tour (15—19 August 2016)

The Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

1. Detailled programme

1st day: 15 August STARTING OF THE TOUR

• Picking up participants with the touring bus in Riga airport by 4:00 p.m. at the bus stop (bus

stop from where regular bus No 22 departs to the city centre. The bus will go to the airport only if there will be any participants around 4:00 pm - therefore participants arriving by plane

should inform hans.vangossum@arcadis.com at which time they will be arriving at the airport.

• Picking up participants with the touring bus by 5:00 p.m. in Riga centre, Latviešu strēlnieku

laukums (Old Town near Daugava River, near the Strēlnieki (Riflemen) monument, between

Kaļķu iela and Grēcinieku iela). Latviešu strēlnieku laukums is a very central location in the old

town, close to the bus stop from the airport, close to the tram stop, all central tourist places,

not far from the bus and railway station.

• Early arrivals could consider storing luggage in public luggage storages (bus station, railway station) and have a visit to Riga.

• Picking up Estonian participants in Pärnu around 20:00 (the location will be specified later).

Please inform hans.vangossum@arcadis.com if you will not travel to Riga and start your tour

in Pärnu.

• The accomodation will be in Estonia, guest house “Klaara-Manni”, http://www.klaaramanni.ee/

2nd day: 16 August ESTONIA

• 7.30 Breakfast

• 8:30 Bus travel to a Kuresoo mire restoration site in Soomaa National Park

• 9.00−10.30 Field trip in a Kuresoo restoration site

• 10:30-11:00 Bus travel to the Öördi forest restoration experimental sites in Soomaa

National Park

• 11.00−13.00 Field trip in the Öördi forest restoration experimental sites

• 13:00-14:30 Packed lunch and bus travel to a forest restoration site in Laiksaare Nature

Reserve

• 14.30−15.30 Field trip to a forest restoration site in Laiksaare Nature Reserve

• 15.30−16.00 Bus travel to a forest restoration site in Laulaste Nature Reserve

• 16:00-17:30 Field trip to a forest restoration site in Laulaste Nature Reserve

• 17.30−19.00 Bus travel to accommodation in Salacgriva

• 19.00 Dinner and free time.

2

• The accomodation will be in Latvia, Salacgrīva, hotel “Kapteiņa Osta”

http://www.kapteinuosta.lv/en. In the evening, it will be possible to visit the beach in North

Latvia (the hotel is located very close to the sea).

3rd day: 17 August LATVIA

• 7.30 Breakfast

• 8:30 Bus travel to a restoration sites in Gauja National Park

• 10.00−13.00 Field trip in the restoration sites

• 13.30−14.30 Lunch in Cēsis or packed lunch

• 14.30−16.00 Bus travel to a restoration site in Melnā ezera purvs

• 16.00−17.30 Field trip in the restoration site LAT2

• 17.30−18.00 Bus travel to a restoration site in Ķemeri National Park

• 18.00−19.00 Field trip in the restoration site

• 19.00 Bus travel to accommodation in Jelgava

• 20.00 Dinner and free time

• The accomodation will be in Jelgava City. In the evening, if there will be still some energy it

will be possible to have a look around the city (Jelgava palace, an 18th century’s

masterpiece on the river islet).

4rd day: 18 August LITHUANIA

• 7.30 Breakfast in Jelgava

• 8.30 Bus travel to Akmenė (Lithuania) a restoration sites in Kamanos State Strict Nature Reserve

• 10.00−11.30 Visiting of Kamanos State Strict Nature Reserve Visitor Centre and Akmenė Land

Museum

• 11.30−12.00 Bus travel to a restoration sites in Kamanos State Strict Nature Reserve

• 12.00−13.00 Packed lunch in Kamanos Nature Reserve

• 13.00−16.00 Field trip in the restoration site LIT1

• 16.30−17.00 Bus travel to a restoration site in Adomiškiai raised bog (Kamanos State Strict

Nature Reserve)

• 17.00−19.00 Field trip in the restoration site LIT2

• 19.00 Bus travel to accommodation in Mažeikiai

• 20.00 Dinner and free time

• The accomodation will be in Lithuania, Mažeikiai, hotel “Palma”, Respublikos g. 27. In the

evening, if there will be still some energy it will be possible to have a look around the city

(Renavas Palace Park)

5th day: 19 August ENDING OF THE TOUR

Transfer from Mažeikiai to the airport of Riga (around 10:00 a.m. in the airport) and the centre of

Riga (around 10:30 a.m.).

3

2. What to bring?

To fully enjoy the site visits, please make sure to pack good footwear (preferably rubber boots or

other kind of waterproof footwear as we will visit bog areas), rain clothing, sun protection and

insect repellent, as well as your binoculars and cameras. Generally, we have to be ready each day

for a long day being in nature in all kind of weather conditions, for waking up early and getting to

bed late in the evening.

3. Tour report

A Diary (publication) of the tour will be produced and include: Background and rational (the

why), What, How, Who involved and who is benefiting, Continuity (long-term). The production

of this publication will be led by Jussi Päivinen and other Finnish participants. Contribution from

other participants to make this publication will be asked later.

4. Essential contacts

General contact: Jussi Päivinen jussi.paivinen@metsa.fi; +358 40 866 9346

Local contact: Sandra Ikauniece sandra.ikauniece@daba.gov.lv; +371 26532258

Travel agent – SIA Explain: Gaļina Geštovta galina@tour.lv>; +371 67185900

Facilitator: Hans van Gossum hans.vangossum@arcadis.com; +32 498 93 16 09

4

5. Detailed description of Latvian sites

3rd day: 17 August

LATVIA

Gauja National Park (Natura 2000 site)

All actions in Gauja National Park were carried out within the LIFE+ project “Forest Habitat Restoration within

the Gauja National Park” (FOR-REST), LIFE10 NAT/LV/000159 FOR-REST.

Gulbjusalas Mire – peatland restoration site. A raised bog, mostly covered with forest. The bog has three

domes and several lakes. In the 1960s, the bog was drained in order to prepare it for peat extraction, which

fortunately was never done. In early 2015, totally 37 ditches were blocked or filled up with peat (totally almost

14 km). In order to restore the hydrological regime, both peat (4 dams) and wooden dams ( 29 dams) were

build, 29 ditch stretches were filled up. Trees on the ditch margins were cleared. In Latvia, this was one of the

first trials to fill up ditches.

Lenčupe – boreal forest restoration site. A

relatively young, homogenous coniferous

forest, dominated by pine.

In order to enhance the biodiversity elements

in the area, the site was proposed for

controled burning in 2015. However, due to

resistance of the local inhabitants and a

massive campaign against prescribed burning

in media it was cancelled. In spite of huge

explanatory work the idea was not accepted.

This the proposed action was replaced by

thinning, ringing the trees and increasing the

amount of dead wood.

Perhaps this was one of the most valuable

lesson learnt in work with local community and

media. Sometimes different opinions can

completely change the initial restoration ideas.

Further reading on LIFE project (FOR-REST) actions and results:

http://for-rest.daba.gov.lv/public/eng/publications_and_documents/

http://for-rest.daba.gov.lv/upload/File/DAP_broshura_eng_5.pdf

5

Melnā ezera purvs (Natura 2000 site)

Melnā ezera purvs (Melnais Lake Mire) – bog

restoration site and rewetted peat milling fields. The

present-day Natura 2000 site Melnā ezera purvs is a

fragment of Cenas tīrelis (Cena Mire), formerly one of

the largest bog massifs in Latvia (in the past it covered

ca. 9000 ha). Large areas of Cena Mire were drained

and used for peat extraction (still ongoing). Today

most of Cena Mire is converted into other land use

types (agriculture, forests, built-up areas etc.).

Melnā ezera purvs was restored by blocking the

ditches (by peat dams) in 2012. Part of the former peat

milling areas and some peat fields outside Natura

2000 are spontaneously recovering as the ditches and

drains do not function anymore – the peat milling

fields are covered with shallow water, mosaics of mire

vegetation, and provide an excellent habitat for

waterfowl.

The mire was restored within LIFE project “Raised Bogs”, LIFE08 NAT/LV/000449.

Further reading on this restoration site and other included in the LIFE project:

http://www.purvi.lv/en/

http://www.purvi.lv/files/2014/7/1/purvi_web.pdf

Ķemeri National Park (Natura 2000 site)

The area was restored within LIFE-NATURE project “Conservation of wetlands in Kemeri National Park”, LIFE02 NAT/LV/008496.

Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis (Great Ķemeri Mire) −

former peat extraction site restored by elevating

the water table. The peatland restoration area is

part of Great Ķemeri Mire (> 6000 ha). In the

Soviet time (1950s−1980s) the peat was extracted

in ca. 115 ha area by using both peat cutting and

milling methods. The peat extraction was ceased

in the 1980s as it became a threat for formation

of sulphurous mineral waters, a resource widely

used in the Ķemeri resort at that time. In 2006,

the water table was raised by raising dams built of

mineral soil and peat, thus rewetting the formerly

dry, bare peat milling fields. After 10 years, the

results seem to be promising – the mire

vegetation is recovering and the area is suitable

for waterfowl, waders and different migratory

bird species.

Further reading on Ķemeri National Park:

http://www.daba.gov.lv/public/eng/visiting/zemgale/kemeri_national_park1/basic/

Further reading on the monitoring results:

http://www.purvi.lv/files/2014/7/1/purvi_web.pdf (pp. 148-157)