Planting precious timber trees contribute to biodiversity protection

On May 22, on the occasion of the International Day of Biological Diversity, Gaia Nature Conservation Center, in collaboration with Dong Nai Cultural Nature Reserve, launched the Dong Nai afforestation and nature experience program 2023.

According to Mrs. Huyen Do, Director of Gaia Nature Conservation, the Dong Nai afforestation program protects biodiversity, responds to climate change, and builds a future of "living in harmony with nature" by 2050. The program also contributes to raising awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the public, especially businesses, about the importance of afforestation to restore the ecosystem.

Vietnam is one of 16 countries with the highest biodiversity resources in the world. However, Vietnam is facing severe biodiversity degradation due to human impacts. In particular, elephant populations in Vietnam have been reduced by 95% between 1975 and 2015. Only about 50-100 elephants are left in the country, of which Dong Nai Culture Nature Reserve still has about 16-21 elephants. In 2010, 7 elephants were poisoned to death in Dong Nai province due to destroying people's fields to find food. Many other large mammals are also on the verge of extinction.

Biodiversity degradation will severely affect human life and national ecological security. Planting forests and restoring ecosystems to enrich forests and create a safe and adequate living environment for elephants and other wild animals has never been so urgent.

Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve belonging to the Dong Nai World Biosphere Reserve, is a critical watershed forest, regulating and protecting water sources for domestic use and irrigation for tens of millions of people in Ho Chi Minh City and provinces in the Southeast. This is also home to one of Vietnam's last wild elephant populations.

Ensuring water security, contributing to climate change response, protecting biodiversity, and especially creating reserve resources for the future are considered extremely important. Gaia Nature Conservation Center has thus implemented the program "Contributing one tree means contributing to Dong Nai's forest" for businesses to participate.

To enrich the forest while preserving the integrity of genetic resources and the typical ecosystem, the Gaia Nature Conservation Center selects seedling native large wood species to plant in Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve.

The Management Board of Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve will monitor the areas for four years to ensure trees' healthy growth and development and a survival rate of 70-85%. Forest monitoring reports with specific monitoring data and images will be updated annually and sent to forest sponsors.

Along with afforestation activities, there are many activities to explore the rainforest ecosystem, forest bathing, and using all senses to connect with nature. 

In 2022, the Dong Nai afforestation program received the companionship of 9 businesses, greening 17ha of forest with the participation of more than 1,700 leaders, employees, and families. The Dong Nai afforestation program in 2023 initially received the participation of many businesses. Thousands of employees and families are expected to participate in afforestation and experience Dong Nai's nature in this 2023 reforestation season.

"We are in the decade of "Ecosystem Restoration" from 2021 to 2030, launched by the United Nations. Participating in afforestation and restoration of watershed forests is one of the solutions to help us protect forests. When participating in afforestation with Gaia, businesses are also responding to the National Strategy on Biodiversity to 2030, with a Vision to 2050, approved by the government at the end of 2022," said Mrs. Huyen Do, Director of the Gaia Nature Conservation Center.

In the coming time, to contribute to biodiversity protection, Gaia will continue to promote planting and restoring forests in Dong Nai and watersheds throughout Vietnam, such as Ben En National Park, Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, and Ca Mau Cape National Park.

Every year, May 22 is chosen by the United Nations as the International Day of Biodiversity to raise awareness, responsibility, and action on biodiversity. This year, the United Nations launched the International Day of Biodiversity 2023 with the theme "From Agreement to Action: Restoring Biodiversity" to call on countries' governments to quickly turn their commitments into commitments. Take action to prevent and reverse biodiversity loss towards building a future of "Living in harmony with nature" by 2050.