Nestled in the middle of the vast green forest, Sao La Forest Protection Station (Vu Quang National Park, Ha Tinh ) appears as a small, resilient dot, where brave people are dedicating their youth day and night to keeping the vast forest green. Despite facing countless difficulties and deprivations, they still stick around, using their love for the forest as their motivation and their responsibility as their guiding principle.
The journey to Sao La Forest Protection Station (base 3) was a real challenge, helping us to understand the hardships of those who stay with the forest. After nearly an hour of floating on a canoe across Ngan Sau irrigation lake, we continued to walk more than 2km on winding, rugged trails. That unique path is divided in many parts by fast-flowing streams, and just one minute of carelessness can lead to danger. Overcoming all of that, Sao La Forest Protection Station (base 3) appeared before our eyes, it was a simple, compact house, hidden and lonely in the middle of the majestic green forest.
Welcoming us with a cheerful smile and sincere hospitality, Mr. Le Xuan Hop - Deputy Head of Sao La Forest Protection Station shared: "Today the weather is cool so moving here is less difficult, but on a sunny day, low water or windy rain, it would be very difficult. The house has just been re-roofed by the Garden, but previously it was thatched, and in the recent storm No. 3 it was completely blown away."
That small house is home to 11 people, shouldering the responsibility of managing and protecting more than 10,000 hectares of forest, accounting for more than 1/5 of the area of Vu Quang National Park. This entire area is in the core zone, making their work even more unique and harsh. The brothers at the station often call this place the “4 no” station, a name that encapsulates all the deprivation and isolation that have become the fate of this land.
The first thing that is not there, and the source of all the difficulties, is the lack of roads. All supplies and travel depend on the only boat that crosses the lake and human power to cross the dangerous trails. The inevitable consequence of the lack of roads is the second thing: no electricity.
“Due to the lack of electricity, all food cannot be preserved and must be consumed within the day. Therefore, even if it is transported from outside, it cannot be preserved and we mainly increase production ourselves to meet daily needs,” Mr. Hop confided.
The station's isolation also cut off fresh food from the outside. The refrigerator, without electricity, became an impromptu decoration, forcing the men here to become real "old farmers". Behind the simple wooden house is a small garden that the brothers gathered to hoe and carefully fence. A few rows of sweet potato leaves, squash vines, and jute mallow bushes were lush and green, adding a fresh taste to the daily meals. The flock of hill chickens were free-range, scrabbling around in the soil looking for worms, becoming a valuable source of protein and a small joy for the whole station.
Occasionally, meals are improved with a quick catch of stream fish after a tiring patrol. Those "self-sufficient" meals, though somewhat frugal, contain the sweetness of sweat, of thrift and the warmth of camaraderie. Amidst the wilderness, the small garden and the flock of chickens not only provide food but also a corner of life, of hope, where they cultivate resilience to continue to cling on, preserving the green color of the great forest.
Sao La Forest Protection Station is like a small dot in the middle of the forest.
THEY ARE COMPLETELY CUT OFF FROM THE FLOW OF INFORMATION, CANNOT QUESTION OR TEACH THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH A CALL...
But perhaps the biggest difficulty comes from the third thing: no phone signal, no internet. It is an absolute isolation for men far from home. Mr. Tran Huu Ha - Deputy Head of the station confided in anxiety: "The most worrying thing is when there is something in the family like: wife, children, parents are sick, then I cannot know and return to take care of them in time. Because if there is a phone call to the headquarters of Vu Quang National Park, I have to wait for someone to come in and inform me to know...".
They are completely cut off from the flow of information, unable to ask or teach their children over a phone call, unable to hear the voices of their loved ones to ease their longing after a tiring day of patrolling.
And the last, overriding void is: no people. All around is a vast green forest. The silence of the mountains and forests is sometimes not peaceful, but a dense loneliness, making the homesickness in the hearts of the forest rangers even more intense and aching.
Despite facing countless hardships, the fire of enthusiasm and love for the forest in them has never been extinguished. Throughout the past time, the officers and employees of Sao La Forest Protection Station (base 3) have steadfastly stuck to the land, keeping the vast forest green forever. Many people have devoted most of their lives to this land, such as Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh and his son (born in 1970). He has been protecting the forest for more than 6 years, and his son Nguyen Xuan Hoang (born in 1997) has been protecting it for 7 years.
“To be honest, the conditions here are lacking in every way, if you are not used to it, you cannot stay here. I live near the forest, I am familiar with the forest, when I had the opportunity to join the forest protection team, I responded immediately, it not only gives me a job, extra income, but also contributes to the forces to protect the green of my homeland,” Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh expressed.
For a young, unmarried man like Hoang (Mr. Anh’s son), living in isolation without electricity or signal is an enormous challenge. However, overcoming all of this, the young man still perseveres, working with his father and colleagues to protect and preserve every hectare of forest in the core area.
One of the concerns of the staff of Sao La Forest Protection Station in particular and other forest protection stations in general is that the regime and policies are still very limited. Responsible for managing over 10,000 hectares of forest in the core zone of the Park, the staff of Sao La Forest Protection Station (base 3) must patrol and stand guard day and night in remote and isolated areas.
The remote sub-areas often have to travel on muddy roads, rivers and streams, with dangers lurking. Each patrol takes many long days, with frugal food and drink, rice and salt brought along but sometimes not having time to cook, mainly eating instant noodles throughout the journey in the green forest. Especially in the dry season, to ensure forest fire prevention and control, all officers and employees in the station have to take turns on duty 24/24 hours, with no days off. The work is hard, but the current salary only fluctuates between 5 - 7 million VND/month.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh shared: "For contract employees like us, because we only have a source to pay the Garden a lump sum salary at the end of the year, we have to spend our own money every day for living expenses, food, and efforts to increase production."
IN THE PAST 5 - 6 YEARS, WITHIN THE STATION'S MANAGEMENT AREA, THERE HAS BEEN NO SITUATIONS OF ILLEGAL EXPLOITATION OF FOREST PRODUCTS OR TRAPPING OF ANIMALS, NO FOREST FIRES HAVE OCCURRED.
Despite hardship and shortages, the staff of Sao La Forest Protection Station (base 3) always carry out their duties with responsibility, spirit and enthusiasm. Every day, the protection station always organizes clear and strict division of tasks for forest patrolling and grasps some areas to avoid people going into the forest to burn bees or herd cattle. Although managing 1/5 of the area of Vu Quang National Park, in the past 5-6 years, there has been no illegal exploitation of forest products and trapping of animals, and no forest fires.
ONLY POLICY CHANGES CAN WE ATTRACT PERSONNEL TO DO MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION WORK, INCREASE FOREST COVERAGE, AND KEEP THE FORESTS GREEN.
Mr. Thai Canh Toan - Deputy Director of Vu Quang National Park said: “They are the force that directly protects the forest, patrols and protects the forest, always at risk of confronting illegal loggers and many other dangers, but the policies and regimes are not really commensurate. Only with great responsibility and love for the forest can the officers and employees of Sao La Forest Protection Station be able to stick with their tasks for a long time in such low income and difficult working conditions. Through this, we also hope that the competent authorities will research, amend policies, increase allowances and income for the specialized forest protection team. Only by changing policies can we attract human resources to do management and protection work, increase forest cover, and keep the great forest green forever”.
When the city lights come on and people gather with their families, deep in the forest, the forest rangers still silently face the darkness and loneliness. Behind the peace of more than 10,000 hectares of forest are countless sleepless nights missing their children, countless worries about their hard-working wives that they cannot share, Tet holidays away from home and days when their parents are sick and they can only swallow their tears. They are trading their private connections, the simplest happiness to preserve the great connection between humans and nature, to protect the green lungs for all of us.
Only a heart that beats in sync with the green forest and loves without conditions can persevere and sacrifice silently like that...
With their dedication, sacrifice and love for the green forest, perhaps we should call them the keepers of the heart of the great forest. Because only a heart that beats in sync with the green forest, loving unconditionally can steadfastly cling and silently sacrifice like that. The great forest will forever be green, but will the hearts of the keepers stop yearning?!...
ARTICLE, PHOTOS, VIDEOS: PHUC QUANG - SY HOANG - DINH NHAT
DESIGN: HUY TUNG
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nhung-nguoi-giu-trai-tim-xanh-cho-dai-ngan-post294127.html
Comment (0)