Project partners are visiting Zemgale to gain experience in creating gardens for various public needs
As part of the Baltic Sea Region Programme project "Interactive Gardens", representatives of municipalities, as well as scientific and educational institutions from Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland visited Zemgale on May 28 and 29 to get to know the gardens in the region at an experience exchange event, as well as to discuss the work done in the project so far.
Project partners from Aarhus University, Biržai Regional Municipality, Aukštaitija Protected Area, Klaipėda Pedagogical and Psychological Service, Natural Resources Institute (Finland), Rakvere Municipality and Estonian University of Life Sciences (Estonia), representatives from Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils, Tukums and Dobele municipalities, Vidzeme University College and the Institute of Horticulture discussed the application of garden therapy, the use of digital solutions and virtual environments in the project, garden maintenance and visitor reception.
During the meeting, the colleagues learned about Latvia's experience in creating gardens for various public needs. During the visit, they visited the lilac garden of the Horticulture Institute, a garden adapted to a historical building at Abgunste Manor, a baroque garden at Rundāle Castle, and an open-air rhododendron collection included in a forest landscape at the University of Latvia Rhododendron Selection and Experimental Nursery "Babīte".
The meeting was enriched by the Riga Society for the Visually Impaired and Blind “See Me!” , helping to understand how people with vision problems perceive their surroundings and others. The blooming gardens of Latvia have inspired the project partners for new works!
The project aims to develop gardens accessible to the public for health promotion, garden awareness and visitor education, both through smart and innovative tools and through a more attentive perception and feeling of the plants and environment around them. The project partners will also ensure the exchange of information between neighbouring countries so that the various activities in the gardens are better known and easier to find.
The project is led and supervised by specialists from the Zemgale Planning Region. In the initial stage of the project, the development of a virtual garden model has been initiated, various improvements, planning and design are underway in the partner gardens, which are intended to be demonstrated to other garden creators.
Project No. C036 “Integrated system for interactive development of public gardens in the Baltic Sea Region or “Interactive gardens” is implemented within the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027. The total funding of the project is 2,790,120 (including ERDF co-financing of 2,232,096 euros).
www.interreg-baltic.eu / www.europa.eu
This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Zemgale Planning Region and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the official position of the European Union.