Are you a mushroom or a berry picker? Get involved in the RSU research project ‘Wild Stories’!

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) invites everyone to participate in the Wild Stories project by sharing their unique stories of mushroom and berry picking experiences in Latvian forests. This initiative is dedicated to documenting and preserving Latvia's natural, cultural and identity heritage. 

The aim of the project is to create a platform where people can share their adventures, experiences and reflections related to observing nature, picking berries and mushrooms, or being in the forest. Wild Stories explores the role of forests in Latvian society - from economics to identity and maintenance of ecosystems.  

Dr. soc. Miķelis Grīviņš, Project Manager, Tenured Professor and Researcher at the RSU Social Sciences Research Centre, emphasises that these stories will provide valuable insight into the Latvian people’s connection with nature, especially forests. ‘Forests play an important role in the Latvian identity - not only as a resource, but also as a cultural and recreational space,’ notes the researcher. The discussions range from the importance of forests for well-being to how to preserve this knowledge for future generations.

The University’s Wild Stories initiative was also promoted at the recent symposium Wild Things that took place on 3 October in Riga, at the Āgenskalns Market. The event brought together researchers from Latvia and abroad to discuss the interaction between nature, culture and science. This interdisciplinary forum focused on the role that forests have in national identity and in literature, culture and society. The symposium facilitated the accessibility of science to the public by symbolically choosing the market environment as a meeting place.

Photos from the Wild Things symposium

‘Through these initiatives, we aim to deepen public understanding of how research is carried out and how scientific processes affect our daily lives. We want to actively promote a dialogue between researchers and the society. The Wild Stories initiative is an exciting step towards engaging the public as an active participant in research.’

Ieva Puzo,
Manager, RSU Social Sciences Research Centre

Anyone can submit their story on a special online platform created by RSU. These stories can range from the discovery of a special mushroom or berry to a family adventure in the forest and even to reflections on the place of forests in Latvian culture. The aim of the project is to collect and publish these stories, thus preserving traditions and raising awareness about the importance of forests.

Wild Stories is a unique initiative that invites everyone to share their experience and stories about mushroom and berry picking, and adventures in the forest. This is one of the first citizen science initiatives by the RSU Social Sciences Research Centre, but it will certainly not be the last. Citizen science is about engaging the society in scientific research, where citizens actively participate in collecting, analysing or finding solutions to problems.

In this way, everyone is invited to become a co-author in co-creating knowledge that helps scientists and society to work together on contemporary issues and challenges. The project invites people to join forces in order to preserve and cherish traditions related to nature and to prevent the loss of knowledge.

‘Latvia's forests, which cover more than 50% of the country's territory, are an important source of resources and culture. Forests are not only a source of profit; they are also a place to relax, breathe fresh air and strengthen identity.’

Dr. soc. Miķelis Grīviņš