On 20 June, the Latvian Fund for Nature held an Open Meadow Day in the Abava River Valley Nature Park, bringing together participants for an informative and inspiring event about natural meadows at the farm of nature-friendly farmers Linda and Jānis Priednieks.
The morning began with breakfast snacks and a tasting of wild plant pesto prepared by Linda, followed by discussions about the management and restoration of natural meadows.
The hosts, Linda and Jānis, together with Latvian Fund for Nature grassland expert Baiba Strazdiņa, then spoke about the importance of natural meadows for conserving biodiversity. They also explained how the naturalness of a meadow can be determined based on its plant species composition and the presence of indicator species.
Participants were also introduced to the natural meadow restoration methods used on the farm, including restorative grazing, restorative mowing, removal of overgrowth, and the introduction of seeds from natural grassland plants. These methods are used across approximately 30 hectares, gradually improving the structure and species composition of the meadows.
The day continued with a walk through the flowering Midsummer meadows of the Abava River Valley, where participants learned about the diversity of natural meadow plants and indicator species, including maiden pink, quaking grass, mountain clover and meadow salsify, as well as other species characteristic of meadows. During the walk, participants also had the opportunity to observe a specially protected natural grassland plant species, cross Gentian.
During the walk, participants also played meadow bingo, searching for various plant and bird species featured in the game. This offered a practical and creative way to explore the meadow. Each participant also received the informative and useful publication Discover the Natural Meadow! A Guide to Identifying Biologically Valuable Grasslands.
In the second part of the day, participants enjoyed a meal prepared by Kitija Švīgere, one of the winners of the “Īstās latvju saimnieces” competition. They also had the opportunity to visit Linda Priedniece’s ceramics studio and purchase clay vessels. The day concluded with a Midsummer wreath-making workshop led by Linda. The wreaths were made from plants gathered in the meadows of the Abava River Valley, using a braiding technique that makes the wreaths particularly durable.
The Latvian Fund for Nature thanks Linda and Jānis Priednieks for their hospitality, as well as all the participants for their interest, involvement and for making the Open Meadow Day a memorable experience.
Open Meadow Days provide an opportunity to meet nature-friendly farmers and learn more about natural meadows – one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Latvia. Their conservation and restoration require knowledge-based and appropriate management, and events such as these help raise awareness of the importance of these natural treasures.
We invite everyone interested to join the upcoming Open Meadow Days, which will take place:
- 11 July in the Sita and Pededze floodplain, hosted by farmer Jurijs Prokofjevs;
- 25 July in Ērgļi Parish, hosted by cattle farmers “Neganti Gardi”;
- 8 August in Skrīveri, hosted by meadow farmer Jānis Kravalis.