Field trips help raise student awareness of nature protection in world biosphere reserve

Nearly 500 primary and secondary schoolchildren and teachers have participated in a program that is aimed at improving awareness of nature and wildlife conservation in Pu Mat National Park, one of the world’s biosphere reserves.

Students experience nature with 5 senses. Photos: SVW

The program titled “One-day nature experience field trips at Pu Mat National Park” includes 19 field trips held in April 2022 by Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW), in collaboration with Pu Mat National Park and Con Cuong Department of Education and Training in Vietnam’s central province of Nghe An.

Participants, who are from 20 primary and secondary schools in four buffer zone communes, joined the trips, which included 15 trips held in the administrative area of the National Park and four others organized in the core area of the National Park, where the students live and study.

Vi Bao Lam, an 8th grader of Chau Cam Secondary School shared after a field trip: “I am very happy because this is the first time I get to visit Pu Mat National Park. I like the afternoon activities in the Education Area at the Botanical Garden the most as I can see lots of interesting insects, and I also get to use binoculars to find animals. I feel like I’m in harmony with nature.”

Meanwhile, Tran Duc Tai, a student of class 4B, Chau Khe 1 Primary School excitedly said: "I like the games "Tiger and Deer" and "Who is faster", because they help me review and memorize the knowledge that I have learned previously. The games are very funny, I get to run around and be active. I love the animal ambassadors at the Rescue Center and hope that the Pangolins and the Loris in the center will be able to return home soon.”

Students visited the Open Museum of Nature and Culture.

Dinh Thi Thu Huong, an Education Outreach Officer of SVW said: “On average, there are 20-25 students participating in each trip which is a one-day tour with two parts, including a visit to the Open Museum of Nature and Culture and the Wildlife Rescue Center of Pu Mat National Park, playing educational games, and exploring Botanical Garden.”

Tran Thi Hoai Linh, a teacher at Chau Khe 1 Primary School stated that: “After such long time learning online and not being able to organize extracurricular activities due to Covid-19, the students were eager and excited to participate in the program. Thanks to the visit to the Open Museum of Nature and Culture, the children got to learn about the values that Pu Mat forest has brought to generations of people living in the buffer zone.”

"Students listen to stories of our Education Ambassadors to understand the threats facing wildlife. At the same time, through visiting the working space of our animal keepers, the children are inspired by the love and efforts to protect wildlife,” Manager of the Wildlife Rescue Center of Pu Mat National Park Nguyen Sy Quoc said

The program helps encourage children in nature and wildlife protection activities as well as educate them to become a core force who will have practical actions to contribute to the conservation of Pu Mat’s nature in the future.

With special-use forests covering nearly 95,000 ha and a buffer zone of 86,000 ha, Pu Mat National Park is of great biodiversity importance and home to many endangered species that face extremely high risks of extinction and should be prioritized for conservation.

The next trips will be held in May 2022 for four schools located in the core zone of the National Park with the organization by Save Vietnam's Wildlife (SVW), a national non-profit organization that commits to protecting and increasing the populations of threatened wildlife in Vietnam.

SVW collaborates with Cuc Phuong National Park and Pu Mat National Park to rescue wild animals from illegal wildlife trades, rehabilitate, and release them into suitable habitats.

Students enjoy participating in the game “Tiger and Deer”