Students and staff

Participation in study courses

Field methods in Geosciences II

The theme of the Watercultures project, human-water relations, was incorporated into the Bachelor of Geography field course Landscape Geography (which forms part of the Field Methods in Geosciences II, Geog1091). During the course, which took place between 18 and 22 June, students conducted a survey of Riga's waterfronts, including Lake Jugla and the Jugla Canal, Buļļupe, Lucavsala and Zaķusala, the Zunda Canal, and Ķīpsala. The survey involved the observation and mapping of various aspects of water and waterfront accessibility, waterfront types, historical landscape changes, and different practices related to the use of waterscapes. The concluding phase of the study comprised a presentation of the findings and a discussion on the planning of blue-green infrastructure in the studied waterfronts.

The course was led by the project participants, Associate Professor Anita Zariņa and Senior Researcher Ivo Vinogradovs.

The picture shows the water's edge. Two students in orange vests are standing next to it. Trees, bushes and other plants on the edges of the picture.
The picture shows the water's edge. Two students in orange vests are standing next to it. Trees, bushes and other plants on the edges of the picture.
The picture shows the classroom where the presentation is taking place. You can see a slide titled "Waterfront Accessibility" presented by four students.
The picture shows the classroom where the presentation is taking place. You can see a slide titled "Waterfront Accessibility" presented by four students.
The picture shows the classroom where the presentation is taking place. You can see a slide with pictures of the water body and a map in the background. Presented by three students.
The picture shows the classroom where the presentation is taking place. You can see a slide with pictures of the water body and a map in the background. Presented by three students.
The water's edge is visible in the picture. To the left is a body of water, to the right - an elevated part of the shore covered with stones. In the deeper shot, a student in an orange vest.
The water's edge is visible in the picture. To the left is a body of water, to the right - an elevated part of the shore covered with stones. You can see on the right side of the picture a student in an orange vest.
The picture shows the classroom where the presentation is taking place. You can see a map slide above which the title "Use of waters and waterfronts" is displayed. Presented by three students.
The picture shows the classroom where the presentation is taking place. You can see a map slide above which the title "Use of waters and waterfronts" is displayed. Presented by three students.

Field studies in the course 'Contemporary approaches to Studies of Places and Environment'

How does water form assemblages? How does water agency affect the relations between people and water? These and other questions were explored and discussed in the Geography Masters course Contemporary approaches to Studies of Places and Environment (SDSKM049), which brought together students from the Environmental Science and Philosophy Masters programmes, as well as Erasmus students from Germany and Finland (21 students in total).

The field part of the course, which took place from 7 to 9 June in the Pape Nature Park, integrated the themes of the project, focusing also on different aspects related to the relationship between man and water. By walking around Lake Pape and through the landscapes of the village of Pape Koniņi and the Baltic Sea, the students focused on sensory experience, affective mapping, psychogeographic drift, more-than-human agency, as well as water management and nature conservation practices.

The course was led by the project participants - Associate Professor Anita Zariņa, Assistant Professor Anne Sauka and PhD student Karīna Ješkina.

   
Group work presentation. In the middle of the picture on the table lays a hand drawn diagram on an A3 sheet with "Invisible lake" written in the middle.
Birdwatching hide at Lake Pape. You can see a wooden boardwalk leading to the hide and the reeds around it.
Students stand in a semicircle around the professor, who presents the tasks. Trees and camping log cabins can be seen in the background.
The group walks along a narrow, overgrown trail that is very closely surrounded by evergreens. A sign with an arrow, a pedestrian and a bicycle can be seen by the trail.
Group work presentation. Students sit at a wooden table and present the scheme and drawings drawn on an A3 sheet. In the background of the picture are listeners and wooden houses.