Wednesday, 30/05/2018 12:02 (GMT+7)
(CPV) - For the first time in Vietnam, a four-day Gaia Nature Conservation Camp 2018 was organized at Bu Gia Map National Park, Binh Phuoc province by Gaia Nature Conservation on May 24th - 27th.
The campers crossing a stream in the jungle (Photo: gaiavn.org)
This camp aimed to connect the youth to nature conservation jobs, in order to create stronger support in the future for the wild. They worked with experts from Gaia Nature Conservation Centre and Bu Gia Map National Park and learnt to identify their strengths and passions, in order to choose the right job.
Half of over 20 campers came from Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi, New Zealand and China are now working in different fields, while the others are university students in Ho Chi Minh city.
At the rescue station of Bu Gia Map National Park, they took part in collecting leaves and fruits and fed the rescued primates and experienced environmental education for local people by visiting Bu Ren, a hamlet of S’tieng ethnic minority, and distributing educational materials on nature and wildlife conservation. They also experienced biodiversity surveys including: plants, mammals, butterflies and fishes. Apart from learning about supporting equipment for biodiversity survey, including: camera traps, GPS, compass, and maps, the campers also learnt about and surveyed plants in the forest.
Bathing in natural streams, cooking rice in bamboo tube, sleeping on hammocks, connecting with wildlife, and learning about local people’s culture were unforgettable memoirs.
The Gaia camp also inspired the youngsters and eased stress, in order to live more positively. A special section of the Gaia Camp is to help the campers to understand themselves, so that they can choose an appropriate job and work with full passion.
“Gaia Nature Conservation Camp was developed based on my 18-year experience working on conservation in Vietnam. There is a high demand for good human resources for nature conservation. The camp connects the youth to nature conservation, and thus will contribute to creating great support and human resources for the nature conservation profession. Participating in Gaia Camp is a practical way to contribute to nature conservation in the nation,” said Ms. Do Thi Thanh Huyen, Founder and Executive Director of Gaia Nature Conservation./.
BL