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Head of Public Awareness Department: Margarita Apine, phone 7225377
e-mail: margarita.apine@videsprojekti.lv
The main contribution of "Environmental projects" in public awareness is a weekly television program "Environmental Facts" on channel 1 of Latvian Television, on Saturdays at 19:00. Repetitions on Sundays and Wednesdays at 12:00.
The program could also be seen on www.tv.lv (topic: "Vides fakti").
Poster Contest "Climate Change – Global Environmental Problem"
The purpose of the project, implemented by "Vides projekti" Ltd. in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of Latvia, British Embassy in Riga and Art Education centre “Three Colours”, was to attract Latvian society's attention to the problematics of the climate change, to raise awareness and knowledge about importance of this issue and also to develop deeper understanding of it.
More than 70 artists, computer graphics and advertising professionals made the posters, also students and schoolchildren were handed in the contest "Climate Change – Global Environmental Problem".
The works were evaluated and the winners were established by the jury committee, enclosing Mr. Raimonds Vējonis, the Minister for Environment, Mr. Ian Bond, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Mrs. Ramona Umblija, the art historian and scientist, Mr.Laimonis Šenbergs, the artist and Mrs. Iveta Lace, director of the trading centre "Spice".
Most successful posters of the contest were exhibited in the trading centre "Spice" in June 2007, and later also in the building of the Riga City Council.
Competitions' first award (from the Ministry of Environment) went to the poster made by the creative association "Brainchild" (Jānis Cirsis, Dmitrijs Frolovs, Matīss Zvaigzne un Aivars Baranovs), named "Gaiziņš – 25".
But first award in art schools and universities group (from the British Embassy) went to the Karīna Stefanišina (Liepāja Art School, 17 years), title of the poster: "World Cries!"
Campaign "No – to old grass burning 2007!"
This year again "Vides projekti" Ltd. took up the campaign against old grass burning and supported the fight of the responsible institutions from the Ministry of Interior against reckless activity of people - burning the old grass and causing damaging consequences.
In order to attract societys' attention and to educate people about the harm caused by old grass burning, the informative campaign was organized as a complex of several activities in 2007.
In frame of campaign posters, cards and stickers on subjects directed against old grass burning were printed and published. To make these materials more interesting, works of professional artists and students, produced during the poster contests of 2006, were used. In cooperation with the postal company "Latvijas Pasts", the state railroad company "Latvijas Dzelzceļš" and the Centre for Curriculum Development and Examinations posters, cards and stickers were distributed in all regions of Latvia.
Special attention in the campaign' 2007 was paid to children and youth education work. Musical performance "Why Wept the Stork?" (prepared by the art group "Mazā Ģilde") were demonstrated in schools all over Latvia. The performance addressed children emotionally, at the same time informing about damage caused to the nature by grass fires. By means of this play not only children and youth in various regions of Latvia were educated (more than five thousand schoolchildren saw the performance), but information (through reflections on what has been seen and experienced) was also shared further on – to the families of the school children, thus contributing increased numbers of people being aware on harmful consequences of old grass burning.
During the campaign an exhibition "Don’t Burn, Save Lives!" with the best works of the previous years poster competition were open in the Latvian Natural History Museum.
Concurrently with other activities of the campaign the Latvian Television and regional televisions demonstrated a video clip "Cut or Burn?" and the radio station "Skonto" recorded specially prepared audio clip.
Radio commercial 
The campaign was cofinanced by the Latvian Environment Protection Fund.
Preparing the Publics for Starting Localization of the Hogweed
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In order to raise the public awareness on eradication of the hogweed in the country and to facilitate successful progress of the localization of the hogweed, as well as to reduce the number of accidents, within the framework of the project "Preparing the Publics for Starting Localization of the Hogweed" information, named "The Invasive Hogweed", was published on the web portal TVNET "Zaļā zeme" ("The Green Land"), as well as in several regional newspapers of Latvia. A series of articles named "Basics of Localizing the Hogweed" has been started in the agriculture magazine "Saimnnieks" by the author Andris Bērziņš.
Project "Poster Contest for the Campaign Against Grass Burning 2007"
The poster contest is organized with the aim to raise the effectiveness of the campaign of 2007 "NO to grass burning!", to activate the issue of burning the last year’s grass in Latvia and to call people to search for solution of this problem. It is planned that after the contest a new, original and agitating poster will be made for the campaign.
In cooperation with the implementers of the projects "Public Mirrors" and "Urna 2" an open contest has been announced, where one of the subjects is "Hazard of Grass Burning". Invited to take part in the contest are professional artists, advertising professionals, academy students and other interested persons, who want to share their opinion by the posters, as by the means of visual art, on the subject of dangerousness of burning the old grass.
The works submitted for the contest will be evaluated and posters for exposition in the "Arsenāls" exhibition hall within the project "Public Mirrors" will be chosen by a professional jury committee, comprising also the representatives from the state enterprise "Vides projekti" Ltd.
Production of the TV video clip "Let’s Cut Ourselves!"
The project intention is to produce a TV video clip, calling people to cut grass and to tidy up grasslands already in autumn, thus contributing to smaller numbers of grass fires in spring. It is planned to demonstrate the clip on TV during the summer /autumn of 2006, in that way starting the informational campaign against grass burning already in summer / autumn.
Previous experience proves that starting of informational campaigns in spring, when it is the most intensive grass burning period, provides unsatisfactory result, therefore with implementation of this project, measures against burning of the old grass, call to the society and education is started earlier – already in summer and autumn. Accordingly the TV video clip can be considered as a support to the campaign "NO to grass burning! 2007" and preventive measure for reducing the number of grass fires in the spring of 2007.
In addition to the demonstration of the clip on TV, publications on sustainable management, biological diversity and other related issues will be made, also various contests for schoolchildren will be organized.
Cooperation Developing with the Republic of Georgia
Implementing the project "Explanation and Popularization of Development Cooperation Opportunities to Various Target groups and Latvian Society" one of the tasks was to develop visual materials - a film and photographs of cooperation partners, where in an interactive manner, easily perceptible for wider audience, Latvia development cooperation policy is reflected and actual examples of the achieved results are demonstrated. The project objective was to develop understanding of the development cooperation policy and to find support of the publics for implementation of further projects, also to inform potential promoters of development cooperation projects and to motivate them to involve themselves in completion of the development cooperation policy.
The main subject of the story (the authors: A. Bley, E. Ruka and M. Meirāns) about one of the cooperation countries – Georgia, made by the environmental film studio of “Environmental Projects” and demonstrated on the “Environment Facts" TV program, is social, economical and ethnical distinctiveness of the country. The film emphasizes the dissimilarities and seeks for parallels of Latvia and Georgia, so that on basis of the previous experience, actually achieved results and on people, having participated in development cooperation projects, mutual connection points could be identified, serving as a foundation for future support and cooperation.
During the project implementation every sector was addressed that has been priority for previously performed development cooperation projects. The participants were interviewed and articles for publishing in mass media were prepared.
All the information collected during the project is gathered on DVD and disks were sent to various target groups, which in future either themselves could involve in development cooperation events or could distribute information educating the society on the issue.
As a project result the awareness of the society were facilitated on the issue – why Latvia shall invest its resources in development cooperation. Simultaneously, showing what support Latvia itself has received recently and demonstrating the actual results, the awareness of the publics and support for this type of projects has been raised.
The project was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
Campaign against "Firing" the Grass 2006
Already several years different institutions and organisation in Latvia - The Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Latvia, Ministry of the Interior, State owned Enterprise „Environmental projects”, Latvian Ornithological Society – are joining forces for the campaign and different activities in order to raise knowledge of society about the problem and destructive impacts of the „firing” the grass.
Although in year 2005 the cases of „firing” the grass have decreased, still this is a great problem in all territory of Latvia.
This Year State owned Enterprise „Environmental projects” in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Latvia, Ministry of the Interior started the campaign in order to raise the knowledge and environmental awareness of society concerning those issues.
During the campaign in all territory of Latvia we will disseminate postcards and posters, in national and regional televisions will demonstrate video-clip, we will collect and summarise the information about this problem. In frame of the campaign we will raise the discussion on political level about this problem.
Information materials will be disseminated in all territory of Latvia with the help of State joint stock company “Latvijas Pasts”, State Joint Stock Company "Latvian Railway", Joint Stock Company „Pasažieru vilciens” and the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments. The Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with company “If Latvia”, Environment protection club and State firefighting and rescue service will organise patrol in all Latvia in order to prevent firing the grass.
Televisions will demonstrate the video-clip, what was created in year 2005. The video-clip was produced by film Studio of State owned enterprise „Environmental projects” (director Dainis Kļava). Posters and postcards are developed specially for the campaign of year 2006 (Idea developer – Mareks Treimanis, designer – Katrīna Vasiļevska, photo – Raitis Puriņš, Diena).
Project is co-financed by Latvian environment protection fund.
Agreement of Big Cities
On the Day of World Environment, June 5, 2005, mayors of the 100 biggest cities of the world met in San Francisco to sign the Green Cities Declaration – a commitment to make cities more environment and people friendly. Supporting this declaration, on June 3, 2005 the biggest 9 cities in Latvia – Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jurmala, Jekabpils, Liepaja, Rezekne, Riga, Valmiera and Ventspils together with the Minister of the Environment Raimonds Vējonis and head of the UN Development Program Latvia office Inita Paulovica signed the “Green Appeal to Latvian Cities”. The event was supported by the administration of the Latvian Environment Protection Fund and the UN Development Program.
The Project „Realization of educational competitions in link with 10 years anniversary of the Latvian Environment Protection Fund”
To improve public awareness about the Latvian Environment Protection Fund (LEPF), its activities, achieved results and more successful projects, State owned Enterprise „Environmental projects” has developed the Project with aim to promote the LEPF in Latvia and to popularize its programs.
Within the framework of this project the mass media of Latvia are invited to organize informative and educational competitions for different target groups. Special cooperation is stated with mass media, what has received financing from the LEPF.
Since April to September 2006, at least in 13 Latvian media (radio, TV, magazines) competitions will take place. The project will promote the knowledge about the fund’s activities, aims and tasks and will promote involvement of new applicants.
At this moment cooperation is started and competitions will be carried out in magazines “Environmental News”, “Hunting. Fishing. Nature”, “Spicīte”, “Spicā” and in editions of company “Zaļais Circenis”. The competitions will take place also in broadcast of „Environmental projects” film studio - “Environmental facts”, broadcast of Latvian Television – “Nature Book”, broadcast of film studio “Ezis” (“Hedgehog”) – “Nature Path”, program of the Latvian Fisherman association – “Fishing and nature of Latvian waters”, cycle of programs about nature values NATURA 2000 and management “Green estate” made by limited company “Labvakar”. Additional competitions will be organized together with Latvian Radio programs – “Green wave” and “Noah’s chest”, as well as different thematic competitions will be advertised in home page of Latvian Ornithological Society and in the section „Green land” of the portal TVNET.
Margarita Apine
Head of Public Awareness Department
Phone: 7225377
 Informative events to promote renewable energy resources
 Campaign Against "Firing" the Grass
Taking into account statistics gathered by the State Fire and Rescue Service on grass fires in the spring of 2004 – in total 2837 grass fires in a 8092 ha sized area had been extinguished, 3 people had died and more people had suffered from severe burns, "Environmental Projects" have decided to fight against "firing" the grass by carrying out public awareness campaign in the spring of 2005 "Firing the Grass is Violence". Film production studio "Environmental Projects" made a video (director Dainis Klava), which was broadcast without charge by Latvian Television. Other informative materials of the campaign were in the form of postcards and posters (artist Katrina Vasilevska) placed in postal offices of Latvia. The campaign was supported by the administration of the Latvian Environment Protection Fund and the UN Development Program. |
