On 5 June, World Environment Day, environmentalist Lina Paškevičiūtė was formally presented with the Environmental Prize founded by the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum and the Dana Gedvila Fund, at a ceremony held at the Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) Botanical Garden.

The sixth President Valdas Adamkus Prize was awarded to one of the initiators of the Forest Swarm movement and head of the non-governmental organisation the Environmental Coalition for her efforts to steer the country’s forest policy in a sustainable direction. During the ceremony, the laureate received 5,000 euros and a sculpture by sculptor Kęstutis Dovydaitis.

“Nature protection is a public interest, a measure of the maturity of the state, and a litmus test of our political culture. A person’s identity is closely connected to their environment, on which their wellbeing and health directly depend. Many of us perceive nature as a living entity – like a fellow citizen without citizenship, one that feels, reacts, recovers, and declines, but cannot speak for itself. No wonder, then, that many people experience the clear-cutting of mature forests or the destruction of river riffles as a profound loss,” said prize laureate Lina Paškevičiūtė as she accepted the award.

Nature protection is the foundation of Lithuania’s future

In President Valdas Adamkus’s welcoming address delivered during the ceremony, he emphasised the importance of environmental protection for people and for the country.

“We talk a great deal about Lithuania’s future. Most often, we mention geopolitical challenges, the economy, education, and culture. Yet we often forget that the cornerstone and foundation of all this is the environment in which we live. If nature is destroyed, our geopolitical security and economy will suffer, while education and culture will become nothing but empty words. Because nature protection has always been, and will always be, an integral part of our shared culture, Lithuania’s overall development, and progress,” President Valdas Adamkus noted.

The President thanked all like-minded people whose efforts help protect nature and expressed special gratitude to prize laureate Lina Paškevičiūtė, whose work, according to the President, serves as an example to others.

“Many could learn perseverance and dedication from you in striving to achieve the results of meaningful work. Many, when looking at your activities, should understand that caring for nature also means caring for society. And that it is not fine words, but active practical work that creates a Lithuania that is healthier for all of us – not only in terms of nature, but also in terms of civic life and spirit,” President Adamkus said.

In her welcome address during the award ceremony, VMU Rector Prof. Ineta Dabašinskienė emphasised that people working in the field of environmental protection not only protect nature, but also build a more responsible society committed to future generations.

“The meaning and idea behind this Prize, in my firm belief, is that people sacrifice their time and talent, sometimes perhaps taking time away from their families and other commitments, so that all of us – both our generation and future generations – can enjoy the wonderful colours of nature, breathe clean air, and experience the beauty of the forest and all of nature not only with our bodies, but also with our spirit and soul. Thank you and your like-minded colleagues for giving us this opportunity,” the VMU Rector said.

The award ceremony was also attended by Chancellor of Ministry of Environment Povilas Poderskis and Deputy Chair of the Seimas Committee on Environmental Protection Aistė Gedvilienė, who congratulated the laureate.

The laureate’s work serves the public interest and protects forests

Over many years, Lina Paškevičiūtė has earned the respect of both fellow environmentalists and the general public through her personal example, persistent environmental activism, defence of the public interest, and nearly a decade of leadership in the activities of the Environmental Coalition and the Forest Swarm. For some time now, she has also been widely recognised in the public sphere as one of the most prominent critics of forest policy.

“We must also understand our responsibility to past and future generations. President Valdas Adamkus has said that protecting nature is part of culture, one that must be passed down from generation to generation and become our living tradition. That is why today it is important not only to plant oak trees as a foundation for future generations, but, even more importantly, to protect centuries-old oak forests as a legacy passed down by previous generations,” said environmentalist and this year’s Valdas Adamkus Prize laureate Lina Paškevičiūtė at the ceremony.

Paškevičiūtė’s advocacy of environmental interests and her work in developing policy proposals encourage institutions, decision-makers, and civil society to take action for the benefit of nature protection. Through her work, she has made a major contribution to ensuring that forest policy is no longer treated as a narrow dispute among specialists, but as a matter of public debate. A representative survey commissioned by the Environmental Coalition and carried out by Vilmorus showed that many people in Lithuania regard logging as a problem and want greater protection for forests, even if this means lower income from timber. The work of the organisations led by Lina Paškevičiūtė has combined the defence of the public interest with scientific reasoning.

Lina Paškevičiūtė has already received recognition for her environmental work: in 2023, she received the “Dedication of the Year” award at the Waste Culture Awards, and in 2024, she received special recognition from the committee of the Valdas Adamkus Environmental Prize.

A Prize that brings the environmental community together

As every year, many people with notable achievements and a strong record of service to environmental protection in Lithuania were nominated for this year’s prize. In addition to the laureate, the committee gave special attention to botanist Mindaugas Lapelė, photographer Marius Čepulis, circular textile economy expert Viktorija Nausėdė, and Chair of the Lithuanian Cyclists’ Community Paulius Bakutis.

The winner was selected by the prize committee, composed of Member of the European Parliament Virginijus Sinkevičius, Director of the VMU Botanical Garden Dr. Nerijus Jurkonis, Director of the KTU Centre for Packaging Innovations and Research Prof. Visvaldas Varžinskas, journalist Donatas Puslys, and Head of the Presidential Valdas Adamkus Library-Museum Arūnas Antanaitis. The committee also included the late primatologist Dr. Birutė Galdikas (1946–2026).

The President Valdas Adamkus Prize has been awarded in its renewed format since 2021. Previous laureates include Mindaugas Survila, the director of the documentary film “Sengirė” (The Ancient Woods); public figure Giedrius Bučas; Prof. Tatjana Paulauskienė; Algirdas Reipas, the long-serving Director of the Alytus Region Waste Management Centre; and naturalist Selemonas Paltanavičius. Between 1992 and 2005, the environmental prize initiated by Valdas Adamkus himself was awarded with the aim of contributing to the development of environmental protection in Lithuania.