The state enterprise "Vides projekti" in cooperation with the magazine "SPICĀ" has announced poster contest for school students themed "Say "NO!" to burning the last year’s grass".

In Latvia every year burning of the old grass causes significant damage – it brings deaths, material losses and harm to the environment. During the last 10 year period in fire started from burning of the old grass 30 people have died, 27 have suffered heavy injuries, 2292 buildings have been burnt down, vast territories of forest and timber have been lost. Burning of the last year’s grass also significantly harms the environment, it causes air and water pollution, soil depletion and endangers the conservation of biodiversity. One of the most effective ways of fighting the grass burning is pasturing or scything the grass at the end of summer and in autumn.

This autumn we organize a poster contest by means of which we would like to attract the attention of children and teenagers to the problem of grass fires. We hope to focus the attention on the extensive damage and severe consequences of grass burning and to develop negative attitude towards it. The best works submitted for the contest will be used in campaigns of the spring of 2007, aimed to motivate the population to stop the grass burning.

The task of the competitors is to make a format A3 poster in any of the visual art technologies, reflecting in easly perceptible, imaginative way the damage of burning the last year’s grass within the environmental, social, economical, ethical or any other context.

The deadline for sumbitting the works is 17 November 2006.

By assistance of the Centre for Curriculum Development and Examinations the contest regulations have been delivered to all schools in Latvia. The competition is supported by the Latvian Environment Protection Fund, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The works will be evaluated by environmental experts and artists. The authors of the best works will receive prizes and will be invited for awarding.

Click here for the regulations of the poster contest.

Click here for the call to participate in the poster contest.

Additional information:
Iveta Kaupe,
Project Administrator of Public Awareness Department
Phone: 7225377
iveta.kaupe@videsprojekti.lv