Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"

Researchers’ Night 2026 activities:

Idea Sprint for Young People
13:00–17:00 – Idea Sprint for secondary school students from Eco-Schools. Prior registration is required. Information about registration and the steps required to participate in the Idea Sprint will be sent to schools.

Tour
16:00–17:00 – “Seed Time Capsule”. Tour of the seed bank and a short lecture. Prior registration is required.

Lecture
17:00–18:00 – Lecture “Wood in Construction and the Sauna – the Smoke Sauna as a Meeting Place of Nature, Peace, and Ancestral Traditions”. Prior registration is required.

Exhibitions
17:00–22:00 – Exhibition “Wood in Construction and the Sauna – the Smoke Sauna as a Meeting Place of Nature, Peace, and Ancestral Traditions”.

Discovery Stations
18:00–22:00
• From the forest shelf: berries, plants, and other natural products
• Forest diversity at the genetic level
• The micro-world of pine trees: pests and their microbiome
• From North America to Latvia: the journey of an alien fungus in our forests
• What is happening beneath our feet? Explore soil biodiversity and its importance in nature and human life
• Following the tracks of wolves and bears
• Forestry Machinery Control Centre – try out a forestry machinery model and discover the technologies that help monitor damage caused by forestry machinery.

Creative Activities
18:00–22:00
For children: forest bingo and other creative activities.
For adults: “The Scent and Power of the Forest” – an opportunity to make your own sauna scrub.

Field of science: Forest ecology and silviculture; forest tree breeding and woody plant adaptation; genetic resources; forest regeneration and afforestation; forest phytopathology and mycology; forest entomology; forest technologies; forest fauna and hunting; processing of forest raw materials; forest resources and forest statistical inventory.

Event time: 13:00–22:00

Venue: The central building and Climate House of the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, Rīgas iela 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia; phone: 67942555; email: inst@silava.lv

Information for school groups: The Idea Sprint is intended for secondary school students from Eco-Schools. The other activities are intended for various visitor groups, including children and adults.

Prior registration is required for some activities: the Idea Sprint from 13:00 to 17:00, the “Seed Time Capsule” tour from 16:00 to 17:00, and the lecture from 17:00 to 18:00. Information about registration for the Idea Sprint will be sent to schools.

Accessibility: The event area has a hard surface and is accessible to visitors with mobility impairments.

Event language: Latvian.

More information: https://www.silava.lv/