Keep the forest and waterfalls green forever

Members of the Community Forest Management and Protection Board of Trang village - Ta Puong actively patrol to protect the forest - Photo: BAO BINH

Located to the north of the majestic Sa Mu peak, at an altitude of more than 1,500 m above sea level, Trang - Ta Puong village is like a jade in the buffer zone of Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve. This place has a unique terrain with towering limestone mountains interspersed with pristine, rich natural forests.

Assigned to protect and manage 230 hectares of natural forest, 22 members of the Trang - Ta Puong Community Forest Management Board have upheld their responsibility to protect the forest. Flipping through each page of the village's periodic forest protection monitoring diary, Head of the Trang - Ta Puong Community Forest Management and Protection Board Ho Van Gioi shared with us: "Every month, the members of the board coordinate with the functional forces to organize regular forest patrols three times. During the patrol, we clear the vegetation and many times discover traces of precious animals such as wild boar, deer, black langur, douc langur...

Once, we discovered a group of 12 douc langurs and promptly reported it to the local forest rangers. In addition to patrolling and protecting the forest, members also regularly propagate and remind people not to burn fields to grow crops, not to help bad guys destroy the forest, and instruct people on how to prevent and fight forest fires.

Along with forest protection, the Trang - Ta Puong Community Forest Management Board has set an example for villagers to continue the tradition of planting trees in natural forests of their ancestors, considering it a way to "pay back" to the mountains and forests. In addition to patrolling and protecting the forests, members focus on planting forests and developing natural, sustainable forests.

Mr. Ho Van Tham, a member of the Community Forest Management Board of Trang - Ta Puong village, said: “From the past until now, villagers have had the habit of planting native trees, mainly wild soapberry and soapberry trees in the forest, planting them wherever they see empty land. In recent years, the planting of trees in the forest has been on a larger scale and more methodically. In March 2024 alone, the whole village planted 1,500 native trees.”

The entire Trang - Ta Puong protective forest area is now covered in green by rows of soapberry and soapberry planted in a systematic manner. With a growth cycle of over five years, these two types of trees not only cover the forests but also regenerate themselves sustainably. The seeds that fall to the ground will germinate into new trees, helping people save a significant amount of time and effort in seedling cultivation, care and transportation.

The effectiveness of the community forest protection model in Trang - Ta Puong village also opens up great opportunities for community tourism development. The lush green forests, biodiversity, the Ta Puong cave and waterfall system with its majestic beauty and the unique cultural features of the Van Kieu people have become attractive tourism products for visitors.

Mr. Ho Van Gioi, in addition to his role as Head of the Community Forest Management and Protection Board of Trang - Ta Puong village, is always concerned about how to exploit the tourism potential of Ta Puong waterfall to serve visitors from near and far.

“The natural beauty of Ta Puong waterfall is truly captivating, captivating anyone who sets foot here. However, in the past, this place lacked proper management and exploitation. Tourists came and went freely, without a guide, and there were no services to meet their needs for sightseeing and relaxation... Those thoughts prompted me and a few households to boldly propose to the local government to allow tourism exploitation here,” Mr. Gioi confided.

The Trang Ta Puong community tourism group was established in 2021, gathering 22 households to join hands in exploiting tourism, of which 3 people take on the role of manager. Local people have cleverly taken advantage of available natural resources such as thatch, bamboo, and rattan to build camps, serving tourists to stop and rest, enjoy the fresh air of the mountains and forests and enjoy local specialties such as local chicken, charcoal sticky rice, wild bamboo shoots, etc. On the occasion of April 30 and May 1, 2025, Mr. Gioi invited Van Kieu artisans in Trang Ta Puong village to perform panpipes, a mam flutes, drums, and gongs, bringing an interesting experience to visitors.

According to Mr. Gioi, the revenue from food services and other expenses after being balanced will be divided equally among the members of the group. Thanks to that, each household has a stable income of 5 - 6 million VND per month. The group also spends a part of the budget to support other community activities in the locality. Participating together in tourism exploitation activities has helped people become more united and closely connected, thereby raising awareness of forest protection.

Appreciating the achievements of the people in working together to preserve the forest and the waterfall forever green, Mr. Ho Xuan Luong, a prestigious person among the ethnic minorities in Trang village - Ta Puong, expressed: "Foreign visitors when coming to Ta Puong are extremely excited and cannot help but admire. They are surprised by the wild, natural beauty of the waterfall, seemingly without human or machine intervention.

In particular, when exploring the forest system here, they are even more amazed by the achievements that the indigenous people have worked hard to preserve, so that Trang - Ta Puong is always an attractive destination for tourists from near and far.

Aquarius

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/giu-rung-giu-thac-mai-xanh-193477.htm