Forest rangers: Silently preserving the green of the forest.

BAC NINH - Bac Ninh has a large forest area, and many places are always at risk of forest fires during the dry season. Amidst the vast green forests, forest rangers still work day and night, traversing mountains and crossing streams, regardless of danger, to preserve the greenery of the headwater forests.

Over 30 years of dedication to the forest.

Located approximately 10 km from the headquarters of the Cam Son Protective Forest Management Board, the Kien Lao Forest Protection Station currently manages nearly 1,500 hectares of forest (including 735 hectares of natural forest and the remainder being planted forest) entirely within the Khuon Than village – home to 119 ethnic minority households. Due to the complex hilly terrain and many desolate areas, this location always faces a very high risk of forest fires during the dry season.

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (front) patrols and protects the Khuon Than natural forest.

With over 31 years of service in the forestry sector, Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, Head of the Kien Lao Forest Protection Station, has dedicated his youth to the forests, even though his hometown in Gia Binh commune is hundreds of kilometers away. For him, the task of protecting the forest means always closely monitoring even the smallest developments.

"Having been involved for many years, I can somewhat predict the risk of forest fires just by looking at the color of the leaves, the direction of the wind, or feeling the dryness of the weather. During the long, hot season, we don't dare to be careless or complacent," Bình confided.

At the Kien Lao Forest Protection Station, there are currently only two officers in charge of the large area, so Mr. Binh always keeps in mind that he must "rely on the people to protect the forest." In Khuon Than village, a community forest fire prevention and control team has been established to regularly coordinate with forest rangers to patrol, detect early fire risks, and promptly report any unusual occurrences in the forest.

According to Mr. Binh, the risk of forest fires increases during holidays, weekends, or peak hot seasons. "In this profession, there's almost no concept of days off; you always have to be vigilant because even a small oversight can have serious consequences," Mr. Binh said. Perhaps it is this dedication that has ensured that from 2014 to the present, no forest fires causing significant damage have occurred in the area under his management.

Protecting the green lungs and biodiversity.

Leaving the Kien Lao Forest Protection Station, we arrived at the Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve to witness the quiet footsteps of forest rangers diligently working in the forest. Mr. Hoang Van Nguyen, Director of the Tay Yen Tu Conservation Management Board, stated that the biggest challenge is the vast management area, covering over 12,500 hectares of forest and special-use forest land stretching from An Lac commune, Tay Yen Tu, to Luc Son commune, with some areas bordering Quang Ninh province. The terrain is rugged, fragmented by numerous streams, and the patrol routes have many sharp turns or steep slopes, making travel very difficult.

Despite limited personnel, each officer has to handle multiple tasks, yet all maintain a strong sense of responsibility, readily traversing the forest through the night when there is a risk of forest fires or signs of resource exploitation. Amidst the vast wilderness, the green of the forest is preserved through the dedication and silent sacrifice of the forest rangers and those who love the forest. In recognition of these contributions, in the past five years, 144 groups and individuals have received awards from various levels of authority.

Meanwhile, the lives of some ethnic minority people living near natural forests remain difficult, and the risk of forest encroachment is always present. Despite this, the forest rangers persevere in their work, increasing patrols, raising awareness, and coordinating with the government and local people to maintain peace in the forest.

From 2025 to the present, nature conservation efforts in Tay Yen Tu have achieved many outstanding results. A highlight is the rescue and release of wild animals back into their natural environment.

Most recently, on May 15th, officials from the Tay Yen Tu Conservation Management Board, in coordination with the inter-ward Forest Ranger Unit of Tan Viet Hoa commune and the An Lac commune government, released a pig-tailed macaque weighing approximately 8 kg back into its natural habitat. From their starting point, they traveled over 100 km along many winding roads, walking deep into the forest, before finally finding a suitable place to release the animal back into its natural habitat.

Forest rangers in Bac Ninh province patrol and protect natural forests in Tay Yen Tu commune.

In recent years, the Tay Yen Tu Conservation Management Board has actively collaborated with research institutes and universities to implement numerous scientific projects on forest flora and fauna to conserve genetic resources, manage habitats, and develop solutions for sustainable forest ecosystem protection.

Forest rangers are also striving to restore and develop the ecosystem under the forest canopy by implementing a model for conserving the genetic resources of valuable medicinal plants, creating sustainable livelihoods for people in buffer zones, and reducing pressure on the exploitation of natural forest resources.

According to the Provincial Forest Protection Department, Bac Ninh has over 174,000 hectares of forest and forest land. The department has deployed sufficient officials, civil servants, and workers to monitor key forest areas.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Deputy Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, affirmed that increasingly extreme weather conditions, prolonged dry seasons, and the ever-present risk of forest fires, along with illegal logging, hunting, trading, and keeping of wild animals, pose numerous challenges to forest management, protection, and biodiversity conservation. In the face of these difficulties, the task of the grassroots forest protection force requires deep expertise, a high sense of responsibility, perseverance, dedication, and a special love for the forest.

Text and photos: Mai Toan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/luc-luong-kiem-lam-lang-tham-giu-mau-xanh-cho-rung-postid446074.bbg