Hong Hoang protects the environment

Although it has only been established and in operation for nearly 2 months, the Hong Hoang Green Club (in Hamlet 4, Phu Ly Commune, Dong Nai Province) has made many practical contributions to forest protection, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.

With a core team of respected community members, the Hong Hoang Green Club has been effective in promoting communication, disseminating legal knowledge, and raising awareness among residents in forest areas, thereby helping local people comply with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws.

 Contribute to keeping the "green lungs"

In recent weeks, members of the Hong Hoang Green Club have been using their weekends to collect trash and clean along the flower-lined road in Hamlet 4, Phu Ly Commune. This meaningful initiative has quickly gained traction, drawing the participation of many locals living along both sides of the road and contributing to making the route increasingly bright, green, clean, and beautiful.

Members of the Hong Hoang Green Club clean up and beautify the flower street in Hamlet 4, Phu Ly Commune, Dong Nai Province. Photo: An Nhon Mr. Bui Van Son, a long-time resident of Hamlet 4, Phu Ly Commune, remarked: “Although the Hong Hoang Green Club was established only recently, the model has carried out many practical activities. Thanks to the club’s awareness campaigns, local people have become more law-abiding and actively engaged in environmental protection. Not only have village roads and alleys become cleaner and more orderly, but the overall appearance of the community has also improved significantly.” Sharing the same view, Mr. Bui Van Dieu, also from Hamlet 4, Phu Ly Commune, said: “Since the establishment of the Hong Hoang Green Club, neighborhood bonds have grown stronger. Residents often meet, exchange visits, encourage one another, and share effective livelihood experiences to improve household economies and stabilize their lives. In particular, people have joined hands to maintain public order, protect the environment, and support the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve in safeguarding forests and wildlife.” Nguyen Thi Lien, Head of the Hong Hoang Green Club, said: The club was established by the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve and has been operating stably since early August 2025 with 17 members. These are exemplary, respected individuals in the community who joined voluntarily with the common goal of helping to protect the area’s “green lungs.” In addition to environmental sanitation and waste classification, the Hong Hoang Green Club has also carried out many meaningful community activities. A highlight is the “Jar of Compassionate Rice” program, which mobilizes resources each month to provide 50 gift parcels to lonely elderly people and disadvantaged households. Through this initiative, club members also integrate legal education to help residents raise awareness and comply with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws. “When local residents detect any suspicious individuals in the forest, they immediately report it to the forest rangers. Based on this information, we are able to promptly monitor and prevent illegal intrusions into the forest"       Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of the Bau Dien Forest Ranger Station (under the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve Forest Ranger Department)

An effective ‘extended arm’

Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of Bau Dien Forest Protection Station (under the Forest Protection Station of Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve), said that the unit is directly responsible for managing more than 5,000 hectares of forest with only seven staff members. Given the vast area under its jurisdiction and its proximity to densely populated areas, forest management and protection face numerous challenges. However, the support from Green Clubs and residents in the locality has significantly contributed to safeguarding the forest, preventing wildfires, and protecting wildlife.

Notably, the section of the electronic fence system for elephant conservation that passes through the Bau Dien Forest Protection Station area has also received support from the Hong Hoang Green Club. Its members actively raise awareness and encourage local people not to damage the equipment, while promptly reporting incidents such as fallen trees, stolen devices, or elephants attempting to topple electric poles. This undertaking enables the responsible unit to carry out timely repairs, helping protect both the elephant herd and nearby communities.

Bui Van Toan, Deputy Director of the Center for Ecology, Culture, and History of the D Zone (under the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve), said that the Green Club model has been implemented by the Reserve for more than 12 years, with 12 clubs and over 350 members across local communities within the forest area.

“The Green Clubs have truly become an effective ‘extended arm’ of the reserve, playing an important role in forest management and protection, wildlife conservation, wildfire prevention, and biodiversity conservation…” Mr. Toan emphasized.

 By An Nhon – Translated by Thu Cuc, Minho