There are 23 creative and knowledgeable workshops in the natural concert hall

The events of this year's nature concert hall both on 18 June in Rezekne and on 1 July in the municipality of Jelgava municipality in Zaļenieku parish, 23 different creative and knowledgeable workshops and laboratories will be organized, which will be organized by the Nature Protection Board. Whereas the main theme of the dabas concert hall 2016 and the hero are the long-standing bats (Plex auritus), the workshops of the nature education will also be devoted to the knowledge of this mammal. For example, you can make a bat home - a cage, recognize and know the bats, their menus, the life cycle, create their own bats by using a constructor, listen and recognize bats according to the sounds they have issued, etc.
“The mission of the management of nature conservation is to increase public awareness of developments in nature, and the natural concert hall is the original way that we, the specialists of the defence council, can tell us about what is happening around us, educate the public and explain the law. At the same time, the concert hall is Latvia's pride – a unique project of art, music and science at international level, as demonstrated by the fact that the project also won the European Commission'S NATURA 2000 award,” said Sandra Berzins, Director-General of Environmental Protection Administration.
Creative and knowledgeable workshops and laboratories are an important part of the natural concert hall. Each year, the Nature Protection Board shall be responsible for them. In addition, the number of workshops is expanded annually in view of the adult interest in nature concerts.
“The main message of this year's natural education workshops and laboratories is that people are responsible for bats, because through their intervention in the course of the natural cycles it has been accustomed to the choice of bats in their homes and winters, at home, basement, customs, churches. An example is not far to be found – also in one of the locations of the natural concert hall in Rēzekne municipality, Lūznavas manor researchers, shortly before the event, identified two new bats species – pigmejats and pond nightmare. As a result, a decision was taken to move the event in order to respect and hamper the home of mammals,” said Sandra Berzins.
It has been reported that in 2016, the natural concert hall will take place as early as 11 years. Events are organised by the association “nature concert hall” in collaboration with the Nature Protection Board, the University of Latvia, the Latvian Agricultural University, the municipality of Rezekne and Jelgava Municipalities, the event site managers and the volunteer assistants.
Scientific support is given this year by Latvian universities and Latvian Agricultural University bats experts, LU researcher, Dr. biol. Viesturs Wintulis, and associate professor, Dr. biol. Gunar Peterson.
Additional information: bats are the only species of mammalian animals adapted for flight. More than 1200 species of bats have been detected in Latvia. The natural regeneration of these animals is slow – only 1 – 2 babies are born in bats per year. Therefore, the survival of each individual colony or even the individual is important. Bats are also conservative animals that use the same headquarters and certain landscape elements for long periods of time in overflights to feeding sites and during migration. These animals are very sensitive to changes in their living environment. Therefore, bats are threatened by a number of different factors, most of which are caused by human activity. Among these, there is often a negative attitude of superstitions and lack of knowledge to these peculiar night animals.
Broader view of the nature concert hall: www.dabaskoncertzale.lv http://www.daba.gov.lv/public/lat/vides_izglitiba/dabas_koncertzale/pirmsakumi/
The Latvian Environment Protection Fund is supported by the Nature Concert.
The information was prepared by:
Inese Pabirza, Head of Public Relations and Environmental Education Department of the Environmental Protection Administration 
Mob. tel.: 26418755