The voting for outdoor educational games made by students in the “LVM Forest Game” has been closed. After judges had already selected 5 teams for the finals, it was time for students and supporters to vote for a whole month in the Facebook and Youtube pages and from the 15 teams that got into the semi-finals, select other five teams that will join the “LVM Forest Game” finals that will take place on the May 24 in Tērvete during the “Latvia Forest Days”.

In the finals will compete:

• Team “Meža glābēji” (Forest savers) from Ventspils Secondary School No.4
• Team “Vecie zābaciņi” (Little old boots) from Nīkrāce Primary School
• Team from Carnikava Primary School
• Team “Lēksim kokos” (Let's jump on trees) from Sigulda Primary School No. 1
• Team “Lauztās priedes” (Broken pines) from Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium
• 223 votes were received by team “Meža skudras” (Forest ants) from Irlava Primary School
• 188 votes were received by team “Aizupieši” from Aizupe Primary School
• 140 votes were received by team “Stars” from Rūjiena Secondary School
• 128 votes were received by team “Lapsas” (Foxes) from Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium
• 86 votes were received by team “Jautrie meža rūķi” (Cheerful forest dwarfs) From Ventspils Pārventa Primary School.

 

Works submitted to the contest “LVM Forest Games” were evaluated by competent judges – representatives of the National Centre for Education, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, JSC “Latvijas valsts meži”, the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, association “Zaļās mājas” and JSC “Latvijas Finieris”.

Inese Liepiņa, the representative of the National Centre for Education, expressed her satisfaction that participation in the competition promotes competency based approach in schools. Gratitude to this year’s work authors was expressed also by Māra Mīkule, the representative of Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia: “We are happy that the input of work and creativity increases year after year!”

The works of contest “LVM Forest Game” were evaluated by Dagnija Lazdiņa from Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, who did not hide her joy about schools that are long term participants in the competition and have qualitative contestants also this year. Pauls Beķeris, representative of JSC “Latvijas finieris”, however, values the diversity of works this year – it was very interesting and tough to evaluate the works, because most of them are very good.

 

Teams that were selected by judges:

Team “Meža glābēji” (Forest savers) from Ventspils Secondary School No.4

 

Team “Vecie zābaciņi” (Little old boots) from Nīkrāce Primary School

 

Team from Carnikava Primary School

 

Team “Lēksim kokos” (Let's jump on trees) from Sigulda Primary School No. 1

 

Team “Lauztās priedes” (Broken pines) from Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium

The LVM Forest Olympics is an idea contest of creative and healthy outdoor educational games for 7th-9th grade teams with orienteering competition in the final and with a main prize for the champion team – a nature expedition abroad provided by the JSC “Latvijas valsts meži”. The final competition will test not only their knowledge about forests and forestry, but also their abilities to collaborate and work in a team.

The aim of the LVM Forest Olympics is to promote creative and healthy studying outside the Latvian school premises – in nature, and also to teach children an understanding about Latvia’s largest renewable resource – forest. The LVM Forest Olympics is organised by the LVM in collaboration with the National Centre for Education in the framework of the International Environmental Education Programme's “Learning about Forests”.

Collaboration partners of contest – JSC “Latvijas Finieris”, trail run “Stirnu buks”, Latvian Orienteering Federation, association “Zaļās mājas”, Forest Department of Ministry of Agriculture, National Centre for Education,and  Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”.