NINH BÌNH — Some 3,200 children in northern Ninh Bình Province’s Nho Quan District are expected to join this school year’s Valuing Nature in Childhood Programme.

The programme which was officially launched on Sunday, is being implemented by Save Việt Nam’s Wildlife.

As scheduled, the children will be divided into 116 groups. They will participate in the programme until May 2018.

The programme is designed to offer children a better chance to explore nature and wildlife, shape the right attitude and inculcate awareness of environment protection and forest resources from a young age.

The programme has been organised for the second year in the province. With a similar agenda as last year, the kids will enjoy a full day at Cúc Phương National Park and the education centre of Save Việt Nam’s Wildlife.

However, this year, schools and parents have decided to partially contribute funds to the programme. It is believed to be an important milestone, marking the commitment of schools and families in wildlife conservation and education, and bringing children closer to nature.

According to the previous season’s report, the programme’s design matches a five-year-old’s development stage, the centre said.

Children’s recognition rate of five specific wildlife species has improved significantly after joining the programme, especially birurong, pangolin and leopard at 79 per cent, 93 per cent and 98 per cent, respectively, the report said.

The kids were also able to remember the striking feature of each species and became aware of the dangers of illegal hunting and trade or using wildlife products. — VNS