Attendees of the conversation festival LAMPA engaged in more and less serious conversations about nature, the environment, and climate. The air was filled with a charge of energy and a buzzing atmosphere with smiling people discussing different topics at each table. The participants could talk about meadows, plants, and natural lawns with Rūta Sniedze-Kretalova, Latvian Fund for Nature expert and botanist.

Participants could learn about bees and beekeepers from the Chairman of the Council of the Latvian Fund for Nature and beekeeper Andrejs Briedis. Latvian Biological Farming Association representative Raivis Bahšteins spoke about biological farming on his dates. Whether pesticides are everywhere, attendees could learn from speaking with Jana Simanovska from the Ecodesign Competence Centre.

Anete Ozoliņa, social network content creator also known as @paradimodi, told her speed dates how to reduce our impact on the environment through clothing. At his table, Radio TEV personality, social network content creator Lauris Zalāns was telling jokes and stories about his environment. In the green conversations, Māris Olte, researcher and TV programme host, talked about the protection of fish and whether a TV screen can teach us about nature.

Director general of the Nature Conservation Agency, botanist Andrejs Svilāns captivated his dates with stories about his most interesting collections, one of which is a collection of sand grains. Comedian, the band’s “Singapūras Satīns” rapper Edgars Bāliņš not only let others ask him questions but was also happy to question his dates about Eurovision and nature conservation. Whereas hiking and traveling could be discussed with traveller and Instagram personality Agnese Skunstiņa.

The evening’s hosts Elīna Geida and Anete Bendika from improvisational theatre “Divas” sparked the event with the feeling of ease and fun. The girls kept a finger on the pulse and played the Latvian national percussion instrument, rattle stick trejdeksnis, to show that a date has come to an end and it’s time to change tables, but the conversation can be continued during one of the following five-minute dates.

The conversational atmosphere was enriched with the short film “Ienāc dabiskajā pļavā!” (Enter the natural meadow!), filling Swedbank’s Sustainability stage with bird songs and insect chirps. The film came to be with the financial support from the European Commission within the GrassLIFE project ordered by the Latvian Fund for Nature.

The event was created within the project implemented by the Latvian Fund for Nature: “Game On: Don’t let climate change end the game!”.