Preserving the hundred-year-old green lim forest intact

Thanh Hoa was once considered the "capital" of green lim forests, but over time, this precious tree species was overexploited, leading to exhaustion. However, in Cam Tu commune, Cam Thuy district, thanks to the joint efforts of the community to preserve it, there is still a vast lim forest, tens of hectares wide.

No one dares to cut down

Cam Tu is a mountainous commune of Cam Thuy district. There are many hills and low mountains with vast green forests, lush all year round.

When mentioning the green lim forest in Cam Tu commune, people cannot hide their pride. This is the only area in Thanh Hoa province that still preserves the primeval lim forest from more than 100 years ago. The forest spreads over the area of Bac Son and Thai Hoc villages, and is assigned to 9 households.

Mr. Do Xuan Linh - resident of Bac Son village, Head of the Green Lim Forest Protection Team of Cam Tu commune - is a person who is always passionate and dedicated to preserving this forest. His family has been assigned to protect 4 hectares of forest since the 1990s, for over 30 years now. Every day, he and some members of the team take turns patrolling, clearing vegetation to prevent fires, and installing warning signs to protect the forest.

"The green lim forest is considered the "treasure" of my village. The forest not only helps regulate the environment but also has the effect of preserving underground water and preventing soil erosion, so everyone in the village tries their best to protect it," Mr. Linh affirmed.

Giữ nguyên vẹn rừng lim xanh trăm tuổi - Ảnh 1.

Staff of Cam Thuy District Forest Protection Department and members of the Green Lim Forest Protection Team of Cam Tu Commune next to an ancient lim tree

On these hot days, entering the primeval lim forest, we feel the cool air. Weaving through the forest, we witnessed with our own eyes the huge lim trees, with diameters from 1.5 to 2 m. The lim trees are straight, full of life, stretching out against the blue sky. This forest has thousands of lim trees. In addition, the ecosystem here is quite diverse with vegetation living under the forest canopy and many interspersed tree species such as xoan, lat, sen...

According to many people in Bac Son and Thai Hoc villages, although the ironwood forest is located along the road, almost no one dares to cut down trees, especially since the locality included this forest in the village covenant to protect, care for and consider it a valuable asset.

"Ironwood is a precious wood with very high economic value. However, if we exploit it all, when will we be able to form the ironwood forest like today? Therefore, our villagers are determined to protect this forest for future generations" - Mr. Cao Van Quyet, a member of the Green Ironwood Forest Protection Team of Cam Tu commune, affirmed.

Village pride

Thanks to strict protection, the precious ironwood forest in Cam Tu commune is always lush, forming a giant green lung, providing fresh air for the people.

Mr. Pham Van Su, Chairman of Cam Tu Commune People's Committee, said that this lim forest not only brings many ecological and environmental benefits but is also the pride of local people.

"Therefore, both the people and the government are determined to protect the ironwood forest at all costs. Preserving the ironwood forest is not only for us today but also for future generations. From there, remind the younger generation to be responsible for caring for and protecting the forest, protecting our living environment" - Mr. Su hopes.

Thanks to this forest, the forestry industry has a genetic resource for breeding to preserve and restore the previously exhausted ironwood forests.

Giữ nguyên vẹn rừng lim xanh trăm tuổi - Ảnh 2.

Green ironwood forest over 100 years old in Cam Tu commune, Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province

According to the report of the Cam Thuy District Forest Protection Department, the green lim forest in Cam Tu commune currently has 1,233 trees with diameters ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 m. Many trees even have trunks so large that 2-3 people cannot hug them. The lim species here belongs to the green lim family and is in group I - requiring strict protection.

Mr. Le Xuan Cai, Head of the Forest Protection Management Department - Thanh Hoa Provincial Forest Protection Department, said that some localities in the area still have large natural forests. However, most of them are forests that have been regenerated in the past few decades; the pure ironwood forest with the most ancient and uniform trees is only found in Cam Tu commune.

Mr. Cai acknowledged: "The forest in Cam Tu commune not only has great ecological and environmental value but also helps preserve the rare green lim gene source of Thanh Hoa. From this gene source, we are gradually selecting parent trees to obtain seeds for propagation, expanding the green lim area in the area to restore the former green lim forests."

Great contribution of the people

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Bao, Head of the Forest Protection Department of Cam Thuy District, the ironwood forest in Cam Tu Commune has been almost completely protected for over 100 years. This shows the responsibility, awareness of protecting the forest, and the desire to live in harmony with nature of the local people.

"This is one of the few remaining pure green lim forests, thanks to the great efforts of local people. With the cooperation of the community, forest management and protection, coordination between people, local authorities and forest rangers becomes very easy" - Mr. Bao assessed.

Mr. Bao said the district forest rangers are coordinating with local authorities to call for additional funding for the Green Lim Forest Protection Team in Cam Tu commune and households assigned to the forest. Currently, the state allowance is still very low.

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