The nature reserve “Korneti-Peļļi” is located in the Veclaicene rural district and the Ape rural territory, in the Latvian-Estonian borderland. The nature reserve consists of three separate unconnected parts which include the most impressive sections of the Korneti-Peļļi subglacial ravine in the territory of Latvia with a row of 12 lakes in the east-west direction. The parts of the ravine located in the territory of Estonia are also included in the protected landscape areas. The nature reserve was founded in 1962, and it covers the territory of 789 ha. The nature reserve has been given the status of the NATURA 2000 territory, and it has been included in the protected landscape area “Veclaicene”. The territory is important for the protection of the forests of slopes, boreal forests and the vegetation of the shoreweed, Littorella uniflorae. The territory is characteristic of coniferous, mixed and broad-leaved deciduous forests and vast areas of grasslands. In the territory there are eight specially protected plant and lichen species that have been included in the Red Data Book of Latvia, for example, the wheat sedge, Carex atherodes, the alternate water-milfoil, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, and the least water-lily, Nuphar pumila. There are also the species that are protected both in Latvia and in Europe – ten invertebrate species, for example, the birch stag-beetle, Ceruchus chrysomelinus, one fish species – the spined loach, Cobitis taenia, one amphibian species – the northern crested newt, Triturus cristatus, twelve bird species, for example, the black woodpecker, Dryocopus martius, the corn crake, Crex crex and two species of mammals – the beaver, Castor fiber, and the otter, Lutra lutra.
