Planting Together, Restoring Together, Including Together – Forest Day in Inčukalns

During this year’s Forest Day, more than 60 participants gathered at the former Krustkalni quarry near Inčukalns to plant over 7,000 pine seedlings, helping to restore a degraded area while demonstrating that an inclusive society is built when people work side by side.

The event brought together people with intellectual disabilities, their support persons, representatives of the Ministry of Welfare, Sigulda Municipality, JSC Latvian State Forests, the association Cerību spārni (“Wings of Hope”), and local residents. Working together created an opportunity to meet, get to know one another and build mutual understanding beyond everyday routines.

Forest Day was organised to promote the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and to reduce stereotypes. With support from the European Union Funds, Latvia is developing community-based social services that enable people to live more independently and receive the support they need as close as possible to their place of residence.

However, an inclusive society is not built through infrastructure or services alone. It grows through everyday cooperation, shared experiences and mutual trust. Planting trees became both a symbolic and a practical example of how everyone can make a meaningful contribution towards a common goal.

This year’s achievement also contributes to the European Union initiative “3 Billion Trees by 2030”, demonstrating that caring for the environment and caring for people can go hand in hand.

Because #EveryPersonMatters

#EUfunds #SocialInclusion #SocialSecurity #DI