Jautmalkė Nature School: a forest learning base inspired by a traditional Samogitian farmstead

A modern school shaped like a Samogitian farmstead

The State Service for Protected Areas describes Jautmalkė as Lithuania's first nature school and reported in 2022 that it had already entered its third decade. The school was renewed in 2021.

The building takes its architectural cues from a late-nineteenth- to early-twentieth-century Samogitian farmstead. It is a deliberate link between ethnographic surroundings and modern learning space, not a claim that the structure is an authentic old farmhouse.

The ground floor has education rooms with adjustable furniture, projectors, practical equipment, a kitchenette and an accessible bathroom. The upper floor provides sleeping space for 30 people.

From animal tracks to woodland food chains

In Signs in the Environment, participants use binoculars and magnifiers to find traces of animal activity. Results vary with season and weather, so no two sessions are expected to produce an identical set of discoveries.

Navigation lessons use a compass, map and natural indicators, while the Woodland Ecosystem activity examines food chains and human dependence on plants. These are guided practical classes, not unguided walks.

Shepherds' pastimes connect nature and living tradition

The 1.5-hour Piemenų pramanai (Shepherds' Pastimes) programme includes fire-making, traditional instruments made from natural materials, trying a shepherd's horn, old games, and a shepherds' version of kugelis cooked in the embers.

Outside are a shelter, showers, toilets and a campsite with capacity for up to 200 people. That figure serves organised groups and events; it does not permit unannounced camping.

Guided routes extend beyond the school grounds

The official list offers a one-hour Jautmalkė-Kurtuvėnai route and a one-hour Smirdėlė wetland outing. Longer choices include two-hour guided trips on the Juodlė and Pageluvis lake-district nature trails.

Activities can be combined, but the real duration depends on group pace, weather, and content. When booking, agree the full-day plan, participant fitness, clothing, and return transport.

Prices, booking and preparation

The programme page updated in January 2026 lists the 1.5-hour tracking, navigation, and woodland sessions at EUR 4.50 per person and Piemenų pramanai at EUR 6. A later general tariff effective from 9 April 2026 lists thematic lessons at EUR 3 per person per hour, EUR 5 with directorate materials, and EUR 6 in a foreign language; the named totals may reflect duration or materials, so confirm the exact category when booking.

The same Žemaitija Directorate tariff lists an educational trip with temporary accommodation at the Kurtuvėnai nature school at EUR 16 per person and campsite use with a tent at EUR 8 per person. Confirm what is included, the ten-participant minimum, and any discounts before payment.

Also agree ages, food, accommodation, and clothing in advance. Bring weather-appropriate layers, closed footwear, and tick protection in warm months.