By the Lo River in Vinh Phuc, this farmer has a forest. People offered to pay 60 billion VND, why hasn't she sold it yet?

Elderly Party member Vu Thi Khiem, residing in Dong Dua village, Hai Luu commune, Song Lo district, Vinh Phuc province, has dedicated her entire life to tirelessly planting trees, preserving the forest, and building nests to provide shelter for flocks of storks.

The lush green forest, preserved by Mrs. Khiem's ​​family, serves as a habitat for a flock of storks in Hai Luu commune, Song Lo district, Vinh Phuc province. Photo: Nguyen Thao/TTXVN

Every day, as dusk falls, 82-year-old Mrs. Vu Thi Khiem strolls around her family's garden to check on the trees and visit the flock of storks. She has maintained this habit for over 60 years.

"My connection with the storks is both a matter of fate and a debt I owe them. If I don't see them flying around or hear their chirping, I feel a sense of emptiness; I can't eat or sleep properly...", Mrs. Khiem confided.

In a small, old house covered in moss, nestled under ancient trees, Mrs. Khiem shared her story, explaining that her family came to this land to start a new life when she was only 5 years old.

Initially, her family grew sweet potatoes and cassava for food, then they planted some fruit trees and timber trees. When the trees grew and had canopies, flocks of birds from all over began to come to roost and build nests. At first, there were only a few, but gradually they multiplied into large flocks, not only egrets but also herons, storks, and cranes…

The fact that the storks came to live in her family's forest is a case of "birds flocking to a good place." Neither Mrs. Khiem nor her family chased them away; they all protected the birds and storks, preventing strangers from hunting them.

She confided that her husband had died in the war against the Americans, and she raised three children alone, enduring countless hardships, difficulties, and dangers in the deep jungle.

Fate seemed to play a cruel trick on her when her eldest son unexpectedly died in an accident, leaving her to raise five grandchildren alone, surrounded by birds and egrets under the forest canopy.

Mrs. Khiem's ​​5-hectare forest,

Dong Dua village, Hai Luu commune, Song Lo district, Vinh Phuc province has many ancient trees that are home to flocks of egrets. Photo: VNA.

To attract them back to nest, Mrs. Khiem and her children and grandchildren planted more trees to provide shelter and create a cool, fresh green environment.

To date, her forest, spanning over 5 hectares, has many long-lived tree species such as teak, mahogany, jackfruit, ebony, ash, tung, longan, bamboo, etc.

Life for the six of them—grandmother and six grandchildren—was hard and difficult. There were times when Mrs. Khiem considered cutting down trees and selling the forest to feed her grandchildren. But when she thought about the heron losing their habitat, she couldn't bring herself to do it. And so, for over 60 years, that forest has continued to thrive and flourish, never being cut down or sold off.

Having lived with storks for many years, Mrs. Khiem understands all their habits. From March to August in the lunar calendar is the breeding season for storks. A characteristic of storks is that they do not raise their own young. Many young storks get lost from the flock or are weak and fall from their nests due to rain and wind. Mrs. Khiem has to bring them home, care for them, and raise them until they can fly and forage on their own before releasing them back into the flock.

"Many people say I'm crazy, but I just do it with all my passion and heart, without seeking any personal gain," Ms. Khiem shared.

Previously, every year, during the nesting season of the storks, hunters would enter the garden or stand on the edge of the forest to shoot them, causing Mrs. Khiem great distress. Now, thanks to the government's awareness campaigns, people's awareness of protecting the stork population has improved, and no one comes to Mrs. Khiem's ​​stork garden to hunt anymore. Recently, the local government helped her fence off the entire 5 hectares of her family's forest with wire mesh. Every year, Song Lo district also allocates funds to support Mrs. Khiem in looking after the forest and protecting the stork garden.

Ms. Khiem was awarded a Certificate of Merit and a Commemorative Medal on World Environment Day by the People's Committee of Vinh Phuc province, and by the Ministry of Science , Technology and Environment. She has dedicated her life to the forest – the place where the storks have thrived and lived for decades. Photo: VNA.

Mr. Dao Tien Trung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Luu commune, Song Lo district (Vinh Phuc province), said: Since 2010, the People's Committee of the commune has requested the Center for Environmental Education and Social Issues, the Global Environment Fund, and the Small Projects Grant Program in Vietnam to invest in building a model for the sustainable management and use of the Hai Luu bird sanctuary.

The commune assigned personnel to coordinate with Dong Dua village to directly support Mrs. Khiem's ​​family in expanding their bird sanctuary to nearly 1 hectare, establishing a protective fence, and planting additional trees. At the same time, they propagated and educated the people to join hands with Mrs. Khiem's ​​family in preserving biodiversity, the bird sanctuary, and the environment, contributing to the construction of new rural areas.

However, Ms. Khiem is still worried because of the rapid pace of urbanization; the heron sanctuary area is no longer as deserted as it was 15-20 years ago.

The construction of multi-story houses right next to the forest, and the filling in of fields and ponds, has narrowed the habitat and food sources for the storks, causing a decline in the number of storks returning to the area. Preserving and protecting the storks' habitat has always been a constant concern for her.

Ms. Khiem shared: "Many years ago, someone offered me 50-60 billion VND to buy the forest land, but I resolutely refused to sell."

"Money is valuable, but I can't sell it because this is the home of the stork family, the culmination of my life's work. If I sell it, where will the storks go? Who will protect and care for them? I always encourage my children and grandchildren to try their best to preserve the stork sanctuary, to continue planting more trees so that this place remains a safe haven, a common home for all kinds of animals."

At 82 years old and with 56 years of Party membership, Mrs. Khiem still diligently plants trees, reforests, and builds nests for storks every day. For her contributions to environmental protection, Mrs. Khiem has received numerous commendations from the Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee, commemorative medals for World Environment Day, medals from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, and the 2002 Environmental Award…

Following in the footsteps of Mrs. Khiem, her granddaughter Nguyen Ngoc Hien shared: “Having been cared for and nurtured by her since childhood under the canopy of this forest, I will continue to work with her to develop and protect the forest and the flock of storks. At the same time, I will educate future generations to love and protect the forest so that this place will forever be a home for the birds to return to.”

Source: https://danviet.vn/ben-dong-song-lo-o-vinh-phuc-ba-nong-dan-nay-co-mot-khu-rung-dan-tra-gia-60-ty-sao-ba-chua-ban-20241119122018728.htm