HCM CITY — Nearly 500 plants from five species were planted on Saturday on 10,000 hectares of a forest in Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve, recognised in 2012 by UNESCO as one of eight biosphere reserves in Việt Nam.

The forested area will help prevent soil erosion, create a suitable habitat for wildlife, and mitigate the effects of climate change.  

To ensure that the forest develops well, it will be taken care of  for at least four years by Gaia Nature Conservation, which is supported by Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve and EXO Travel.

Caretakers will participate in periodic surveys about the ecosystems of the new forest.

Survey activities will include creating a list of plant and animal species, measuring tree height and foliage coverage, observing vegetation coverage, and taking photos to monitor changes.

The forest plantation and monitoring programme, initiated by Gaia Nature Conservation, is supported by Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve and EXO Travel.

More than 130 staff and leaders from EXO Travel are also taking part in the planting of trees, contributing to the natural conservation of Việt Nam.

The enriched forest will provide food and shelter for a countless number of wildlife species, including endangered species such as Asian elephants, gaur, great hornbills, and black-shanked doucs.

During a recent forest plantation day, the participants learned about the forest and wildlife of Việt Nam and Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve.

The reserve covers more than 966,500 ha in Đồng Nai, Lâm Đồng, Bình Phước, Bình Dương and Đắk Nông provinces, and is home to more than 1,400 species of plants and 1,700 kinds of animals, including those listed in the Red Book.

A team-building session about environmental protection was also organised during the plantation day.

Đỗ Thị Thanh Huyền, founder and executive director of Gaia Nature Conservation, who has been working on conservation in Việt Nam over 17 years, said: "The total area of forest in Việt Nam is decreasing and the quality of the large area of forest is poor. We human beings are facing more serious natural calamities, climate change, and wildlife extinction.”

“The forest plantation and monitoring programme was carefully designed so that participants not only contribute directly to nature through plantation activities, but also gain valuable and creative  experiences in a professional, relaxing and inspiring atmosphere,” Huyền added.

Gaia is creating more initiatives in forest plantation and monitoring at Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve, as well as other forests in Việt Nam, to enhance ecological services and wildlife protection.—VNS