Latvia is preparing for its 19th annual nationwide cleanup effort, known as Lielā Talka, scheduled for Saturday, April 25th. Despite lingering snow cover across much of the country, organizers are encouraging citizens to begin planning their participation in the spring cleaning initiative.
This year’s Lielā Talka carries the slogan “Hand in hand – for Latvia!” (“Roku rokā – Latvijai!”), emphasizing a collective effort towards environmental improvement. The event invites individuals to improve landscapes within their communities or to focus on broader environmental cleanup efforts throughout Latvia.
Vita Jaunzeme, an organizer of Lielā Talka, stated, “The world is going crazy, but our care for our own health and nature, beauty and cleanliness are stable and unchanging values of Latvian society. Let’s join hands so that our forests and surroundings are clean, the landscape is beautifully maintained, and we ourselves are happy and proud of what we have done! By working together, we grow stronger, achieve more, and by cleaning and tidying up the world around us, we also tidy up ourselves!”
Participants can begin identifying potential cleanup locations starting March 27th through the website www.talkas.lv. Organizers are currently urging communities to coordinate and determine specific tasks for this year’s event. The nationwide event is organized by the association “Pēdas LV” in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Latvian Association of Local Governments, Latvian State Forests, and the Song Festival Association.
The Lielā Talka tradition was officially recognized in September 2025 when it was included in Latvia’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
