During the four-day visit, the Latvian delegation met representatives of Lithuania’s Environmental Projects Management Agency (EPMA), Ministry of Environment and State Service for Protected Areas (SSPA), as well as specialists from the LIFE NATURALIT project and national parks. The discussions compared the two countries’ approaches to managing the Natura 2000 network, implementing nature conservation policy and delivering integrated LIFE projects. Particular attention was paid to implementation challenges and ways of addressing them.
Seeing nature restoration measures in practice was an important part of the visit. In Dzūkija National Park, the Latvian specialists visited restored inland dunes, forest management sites and locations where other measures have been implemented. Lithuania’s experience of prescribed burning to restore forest habitats was of particular interest. This approach helps create suitable conditions for species whose life cycles and distribution depend on periodic fire.
The delegation also explored other restoration and management methods, including the management of semi-natural grasslands through grazing, the use of large herbivores to manage habitats, and the composting of green biomass. In Žemaitija National Park, the specialists learned how biomass collected during the management of semi-natural grasslands and wetlands is processed into compost, providing a circular approach to managing protected areas.
“What stayed with me most was the enthusiasm of our Lithuanian colleagues. They try new approaches. They look for creative solutions that work for nature. That is truly inspiring. We came home wanting to be bolder, more creative and even more committed in our own work,” says Ieva Saleniece, LatViaNature Project Manager.
The exchange of experience also covered public information and nature education. At visitor centres in Lithuanian protected areas, the Latvian delegation learned how their Lithuanian colleagues explain the natural values of protected areas, their importance and the need for management measures.
The visit strengthened professional contacts between nature conservation specialists and LIFE strategic long-term project teams in Latvia and Lithuania, laying the foundation for further exchanges of information and practical experience. The insights gained and examples seen in the field will inform the planning and implementation of future nature conservation and habitat management measures in Latvia.
