"Green Stories": an interdisciplinary project inviting society to act for biodiversity

The cross-border project "Green Stories" (LL-00188), funded under the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania cross-border cooperation programme, was launched in March 2024. The project is implemented by the Directorate of Aukštaitija National Park and Labanoras Regional Park together with Daugavpils University. The initiative is dedicated to preserving biodiversity, strengthening environmental awareness and involving residents in science-based activities.

One of the important emphases of the project is the involvement of citizens not as observers but as active participants in nature conservation and data collection. The project activities include inventories of rare and historical plants in protected areas, the development of educational programmes for school students and the public, practical training and the development of discovery spaces. The data collected will supplement national databases, and the newly created catalogues and information sources will be accessible to the general public.

The "Moon Laboratory" is being set up in Palūšė: a new science and education centre for experiments with growing plants under simulated conditions. Next to it there will also be an exhibition garden of historical plants, encouraging the recognition and preservation of endangered cultivated species. At the same time, demonstration spaces, outdoor educational classrooms and a seed bank will be created and artificial habitats restored at the Daugavpils University research centre "Ilgas".

The project is based on cooperation between nature conservation institutions and the scientific community, and Lithuanian universities are also becoming partners: Vilnius University, VILNIUS TECH and Vytautas Magnus University. Such a partnership opens up opportunities to integrate interdisciplinary and citizen science-based solutions not only into scientific research but also into the public sphere.

"Green Stories" demonstrates that biodiversity protection can be based not on expert knowledge alone but also on public participation. The project is becoming a platform where ecology, education, science and local communities meet, forming a practical basis for citizen science in the Lithuanian context.

More information: Project profile on the Interreg website