Alleys are much more than just a beautiful roadside feature – they are part of our natural and cultural heritage, preserving history while providing habitat for countless species. In Latvia, only 63 alleys have so far been officially recognized as specially protected, while hundreds of others – valuable both in terms of nature and cultural history – remain undocumented.
To change this, an interactive alleys database is being created – a map to which everyone is invited to contribute by becoming an alley detective! Anyone can help by scanning the QR code leading to the survey or opening it via the link and answering questions about a known avenue in Kurzeme. So far, only 12 alleys in Kurzeme have been officially recognized as protected.
What is an alley?
An alley is a linear planting of trees along both sides of a road, highway, or pedestrian path, or in parks as a linear landscape element. It is characterized by a regular rhythm of tree planting. Usually, an alley consists of at least two rows, but in historic alleys sometimes only one row remains. The minimum number of planted trees in an alley is at least 10 trees on each side.
Alleys serve not only as aesthetic and cultural landmarks but also as important habitats, providing movement corridors in the landscape for birds, bats, invertebrates, and other species. They improve air quality, provide shade, offer wind protection, and help maintain landscape diversity.
How to get involved?
The accompanying video visually highlights the significance of avenues in Latvia’s landscape and reminds us that their preservation is our shared responsibility.
Everyone is invited to:
- review the questions in the alley survey and photograph an alley,
- add its location to the map (precisely or approximately),
- indicate tree species, dimensions, and age,
- share historical information (if known),
- upload photos and other observations.
The survey is available here>
This article and video were created within the framework of the Interreg project No. LL-00251 “Preservation of Tree Alleys for Biodiversity in Kurzeme and Northern Lithuania (Green Guardians),” co-financed by the European Union’s Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027.
Project Manager:
Ligita Kokaine
+371 26586604
ligita.kokaine@kurzemesregions.lv
