19:11, 20 November 2023
On Monday, Riga Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis (JV) together with youth guards and representatives of the municipal company “Rīgas Meži” selected the two main Riga Christmas trees that will decorate Dome Square and Town Hall Square, LETA agency observed.
The selected fir trees are about 30 years old and their height is about 15 meters.
For the first time, Christmas trees were chosen in the Gauja forestry territory of “Rīgas mežu” – near Jūdažie, Sigulda county.
This year, the Riga mayor was helped to search for the main decorations of the city’s festivities by the Young Guards unit of the 45th secondary school of Riga, whose members gave a solemn promise on Lāčplēš day, as well as the rangers of Gauja forestry.
In total, this year the capital will be decorated with more than 50 Christmas trees that came from the “Riga forests”. They will be installed both in the main squares of Riga, in the neighborhoods and near educational institutions, the municipality informs.
The Gauja forestry area of ”Rīgas mežu” is about 20,500 hectares (ha), which extends on both sides of the Vidzeme highway – around Ādaži, Carnikava and Kalngali, as well as around Stopinių and Ulbrok, while small areas are on the side of Salaspils and Sigulda. The main tree species are pine – about 90%, birch – about 6%, and spruce – about 5%.
In the forestry area, there is a protected area of European importance – the nature reserve “Garkalne forests” with an area of 364 ha. It is famous for the fact that about half of Latvia’s green crow population nests there. Part of the forest is also the nature park “Piejūra” with an area of 528 ha. Such rare bird species as, for example, the plover and the puffin can also be found in the forestry area.
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Tags: PHOTO mayor Riga young guards chosen main winter decorations Riga Christmas trees
