May has been a rather busy month for association BALTA DABA! We've started two amazing projects with co-financing from our Latvian Environmental Protection Fund and we've also coordinated our work with local university and local governments. The two projects that have started in May are "Green Valmiera" (Our "base" town) and "Gauja's room" (the river we're most concerned for).

Project "Green Valmiera" is carried out with local university students and youth in the area! We've already organized Nature Photography Workshop, to help us capture the best images from our activities in the wild, a very productive joint work where we collected garbage along the shores of our local river (there was even an absolutely huge truck tire, who knows how it got there!), two day environment-exploratory hike with simply amazing guide! We're involving local youth and university students therefore encouraging them to be environmentally friendly and to join us in the future! We've still in preparation works for other activities in this project!

Project "Gauja's room" is carried out in cooperation with other NGOs in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. We've already organized outside activities for school children to understand the means and necessity for biodiversity of our rivers and their surroundings. Most recently, on the 31st of May, we organized a joint work with participation of river environment experts and many volunteers.

Both of these projects are actually at the beginning phase, so there's still much to come! We also have been "spreading our cause" all the ways we can. And, of course, we're getting ready for YEE Annual Meeting this August!

Ralfs Piziks

Balta Daba, Latvia