On Friday, August 13, 2021, the first project “LIFE GoodWater IP” clean-up took place in Mergupe, the part of the river near Nītaure. The aim of the clean-up at this stage was to clear the river of sediment from trees and sand in order to restore its flow. Both project partners and volunteers are also working.

Fallen trees in rivers are very important, however, dense tree sediments and can interfere with the natural flow of the river. The economic activity of people impacts the river flow, which after this stage has formed sand deposits, which change the river bed and affect the living conditions of the fauna. During the clean-up, the restored river flow partially frees the river from sand deposits, washing them away. Work involving volunteers will continue in Mergupe.

Participant of the clean-up Ieva Ostrovska: “I see participation in the World Wide Fund for Nature clean – up work as a rare advantage to look at nature and its processes not only from the outside, from the consumer’s point of view, but also from the inside, from the human presence and participation in natural processes.”

For a person not being related to environmental science on a daily basis, these clean-ups are a great opportunity to hear expert stories about natural processes in a real environment, to understand that not everything that looks beautiful and combed is also useful. River clean – up is an opportunity to understand how all its elements interact in nature, that not everything is the way it looks. Nature work is a great way to spend your free time – meaningful, physically active, exciting and with great people.