Tet (Vietnamese New Year) for forest keepers

As Tet approaches, many people gather and celebrate with their families, but the forest rangers at the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board quietly carry out their duties deep in the forest. This is not only a responsibility to preserve the greenery of their homeland, but also a testament to their dedication and commitment to their profession.

Leaders of the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board visited and encouraged staff on duty during Tet in the lush green forest.

Putting aside family matters, during the traditional Lunar New Year holiday, Huynh Thanh Huy and his colleagues traveled long distances, trekking through the forest to perform their duties of managing and protecting the forest in the area of Station 9. Amidst the mountains and forests, these men still performed the New Year rituals.

Huynh Thanh Huy, an employee of the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board, said: "Many times, illegal loggers take advantage of the Tet holiday to hunt and exploit rare and valuable timber, so I was assigned this task by the leadership. Although I have to work far from my family, I still overcome difficulties in the deep forest to complete my nhiệm vụ."

According to the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board, for many years, the unit has consistently encouraged and motivated its staff to perform their duties well during the Tet holiday at the forest protection stations. As a result, violations have been significantly reduced, especially during the days when people across the country celebrate the traditional Tet holiday.

Forest protection officers still enjoy traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) dishes.

With 3 management stations protecting over 21,000 hectares of various types of forest, during the Tet holiday, 12 staff members take turns on duty to manage, protect, and prevent forest fires. This is a particularly important task, so the unit's leaders pay close attention to, visit, encourage, and check on the staff to ensure they complete their duties. According to the schedule, two staff members will be on duty each day at each station during the Tet holiday. Mr. Nguyen Trung Hao, Director of the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board, said: “Taking advantage of the Tet holiday, people often encroach on forest land, cut down trees, and hunt rare animals. With the surrounding mountains and forests during Tet, and our staff celebrating far from home, we visit and encourage the force on duty during Tet to complete their tasks.”

Put aside personal feelings, preserve the verdant green of the forest.

Having dedicated 25 years to Yok Don National Park, Bui Van Thanh, the head of Forest Ranger Station No. 12, is accustomed to celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in the forest more often than with his family. The station has only eight people, who must take turns on duty in two shifts throughout the first days of the new year. While the city is bustling with family gatherings, Thanh and his colleagues shoulder their backpacks and patrol every patch of forest. For him, loving his profession and the forest is not just words, but a choice made through sacrifice: sacrificing family meals and precious moments with his children to keep the vast forest peaceful. There is no longer a boundary between ordinary days and Tet, only unwavering responsibility and the simple belief that as long as the forest remains green, spring will stay.

Mr. Bui Van Thanh, Head of Forest Ranger Station No. 12, and other forest rangers patrol and inspect the forest during the Tet holiday.

Mr. Bui Van Thanh, Head of Forest Ranger Station No. 12 of Yok Don National Park (far right, top row), along with other rangers, patrol and inspect the forest during the Tet holiday.

Mr. Thanh confided: “My family lives in Buon Ma Thuot ward and is used to me being away from home during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year) to perform my duties. Because I love my job, I love the forest, and I am clearly aware of my responsibility in sustainable forest management and protection, being away from my family frequently is inevitable. Therefore, I almost no longer have any concept of holidays or Tet.”

For Mr. Nguyen Nam Ha, Head of Forest Ranger Station No. 7, who has been dedicated to forest protection for 20 years, celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) at the station has become a familiar routine. His wife also works in Yok Don National Park, so they understand and share the long shifts and Tet holidays away from home. In the days leading up to Tet, he and his colleagues at the station proactively clean and decorate the grounds, planting more flowers so that the guard station in the middle of the forest still has a spring atmosphere. The station currently has 11 permanent staff and 2 contract workers, divided into two shifts to work throughout Tet, ensuring both forest protection duties and encouraging each other to complete their work well during these special days of the year.

Forest rangers from Station No. 7 of Yok Don National Park patrol and inspect the forest during the Tet holiday.

Amidst the festive atmosphere of Tet (Lunar New Year), the 17 ranger stations of Yok Don National Park, with hundreds of officers, continue to quietly patrol the forest, inspecting high-risk areas. According to Mr. Phan Thanh Hoa, Deputy Head of the Forest Ranger Unit of Yok Don National Park, Tet is also a time when illegal loggers may take advantage of loopholes to operate, so the forest rangers cannot afford to be negligent.

Celebrating the New Year in the forest, it's hard for anyone to avoid feeling homesick, especially at the moment of midnight. But this is the job they've chosen and are committed to, so each person tells themselves to put aside their personal joys and share them with their families to complete their mission with their teammates. "We understand that sacrificing personal happiness is a 'shield' protecting the nation's invaluable assets; a moment of carelessness could cost us dozens of hectares of forest," Mr. Hoa said.

Mr. Hoa also emphasized: "Protecting forests is not just about preserving trees, but also about preserving the ecosystem and long-term livelihoods for the people. Thinking about that gives us more motivation and encourages each other to maintain our spirit and determination to complete the task and protect the greenness of the vast forest."

Yok Don National Park's 17 forest patrol stations maintain a 24/7 presence, intensifying patrols in key areas and border regions.

Enjoy the Lunar New Year but don't forget your responsibilities.

With over 115,545 hectares of dipterocarp forest – the largest forest in Southeast Asia – Yok Don National Park is protecting a unique ecosystem characteristic of the arid Central Highlands. This type of forest has a vegetation cover adapted to the harsh dry season, but it also poses a high risk of fire. In the late months of the year, prolonged hot weather and a thick layer of dry leaves covering the ground mean that even a small spark can ignite a large fire, causing serious damage.

Faced with this pressure, the National Park's 17 ranger stations maintain 24/7 duty, intensify patrols in key areas and border regions; coordinate with local authorities, the military, and the police to promote awareness among people living near the forest about not burning fields or bringing fire into the forest during the dry season.

Mr. Pham Tuan Linh, Director of Yok Don National Park, said: During New Year's Eve and the Tet holiday, forest protection teams and checkpoints maintain a constant staffing level of over 70%, ensuring smooth observation and communication systems, and are ready to respond to any emerging situations. Besides the risk of forest fires, the fight against acts of encroachment on forest resources, especially in border areas, is also organized flexibly, combining regular patrols with surprise inspections.

“Amidst the tranquil wilderness, the New Year's Eve moment for the forest rangers passed by with the sound of walkie-talkies and the light of flashlights. There were no fireworks, no celebratory feasts, but for us, it was a joy to know that the forests remained safe,” Mr. Linh shared.

Forest Ranger Station No. 7 of Yok Don National Park is decorating its grounds and planting more flowers so that the guard station in the middle of the forest still has the colors of spring.

The spirit of "enjoying the Lunar New Year without forgetting our duties" has become the guiding principle for the staff and officials of Yok Don National Park. Each shift during the Tet holiday, each patrol during the dry season, is not only to protect the trees, but also to preserve the ecological balance and the foundation for sustainable development in the Central Highlands. "Protecting the forest during the Tet holiday is not only a professional duty but also a responsibility to the community and future generations," affirmed Mr. Pham Tuan Linh.