What is volunteering?
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial gain. Volunteers choose activities that fit their interests, needs and amount of time they can spend on particular work. Voluntary work is devoting ones time, knowledge and skills for others, receiving no reward for it. Voluntary work in Latvia is regulated by “Voluntary work law” that has come into force on January 1st, 2016.
Volunteering in specially protected areas in Latvia
Volunteers both from Latvia and abroad have done many valuable and highly necessary things in order to help out protected areas administration staff promote activities related to nature protection. Volunteer groups and individuals have initiated various voluntary events to clean up territory, fix or maintain infrastructure and assist on diverse environmental education activities. Volunteering activities have been done together with experienced individuals who work in nature conservation field. Volunteers have assisted them on tourist registration in protected areas, environmental education work, preparation of information materials and other very valuable tasks. Volunteering work in Nature Conservation Agency is coordinated by regional Nature education centers.
European voluntary service in specially protected areas in Latvia
Nature Conservation Agency Vidzeme and Pieriga administrations have hosted several volunteers through European Voluntary Service programme since 2007. EVS volunteers from Spain, Portugal, France and Germany have worked in Kemeri and Gauja National parks, giving significant contribution both in sustainable tourism development and environmental education event organization as well as infrastructure maintenance and nature conservation field.
If you wish to become a volunteer or you have an idea suitable for volunteering in one of specially protected areas in Latvia, contact daba@daba.gov.lv or search for contacts with regional Nature education centers nearby you.