Guarding forests through National Day holiday

As urban and rural areas become increasingly bustling ahead of the National Day holiday on September 2, forest rangers quietly shoulder their backpacks and set out to perform their duties.

Forest rangers at Bu Gia Map National Park coordinate with relevant units to patrol and protect the forest.

For them, the most meaningful holiday is one spent setting aside personal joys to trek through forests and wade across streams. The peace of the forests comes at the cost of their countless patrols and responsible overnight shifts.

Choosing to stay with the forest

With more than 20 years of service as a forest ranger, Pham Tuan Thuc, Head of the Mobile Ranger and Wildfire Prevention and Control Team under the Bu Gia Map National Park Forest Protection Division, has hardly ever enjoyed a complete Lunar New Year (Tet) or holiday with his family. Before and during this year’s September 2 National Day holiday, he will once again patrol and guard the forest alongside his teammates.

"For us, patrolling and protecting the forest never stop, even during holidays and Tet. Over the years, my family and I have grown accustomed to the unique nature of this job," said Thuc.

Forests in Dong Nai City play a crucial role in regulating the climate, protecting water sources, maintaining biodiversity, and mitigating the impacts of urbanization. They are also home to many rare plant and animal species and provide livelihoods for people in buffer zones. Therefore, every citizen and visitor should increase their awareness and strictly comply with regulations on forest management and protection when visiting the forest. These are practical actions to join hands with forest rangers in protecting these precious "green lungs."

In his early years on the job, the loneliness of the deep forest often brought the young officer to tears. Amid the quiet, without electricity or a mobile signal, he spent his days befriending a small dog and his nights lying awake with homesickness. As time passed, that longing was gradually replaced by a love for the profession and the forest. After every patrol, what Thuc hopes for most is that the forest remains undisturbed, its wildlife stays safe, and his teammates return safely.

Thuc still recounts a memory from the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30) holiday break in 2017, a special milestone in his many years in the profession. That day, he and two teammates were conducting a multi-day patrol in Sub-zone 9. Early on the third day of the patrol, drawing on his experience, Thuc and his colleagues suspected that a group of individuals was hiding in the forest near Dac Luc Waterfall.

Upon approaching the area, the trio discovered a group of suspects. "There were only three of us at the time, deep in the forest, with no phone signal to call for backup. Despite the danger, my teammates and I apprehended the suspects to maintain peace in the forest," recalled Thuc.

Thanks to their decisiveness, the team quickly apprehended the two ringleaders while persuading the remaining nine individuals to comply with their instructions before bringing them all back to headquarters for processing. The successful patrol was a testament to the courage and quick thinking of the forest rangers.

For forest guardians, the concept of "peace" is very specific: after every shift, the forest remains green, no trees have been felled, no wild animals have been hunted, no forest fires have occurred, and the personnel on duty have returned safely. Thuc hopes the community will join hands in protecting the forest by complying with the law and saying no to illegal forest products and wildlife.

For the peace of the forests

At Bu Gia Map National Park, forest protection work during the National Day holiday is carried out systematically with a high level of vigilance. Vuong Duc Hoa, Director of Bu Gia Map National Park, said the unit has directed the Forest Protection Division and contracted community forces to maintain strict duty shifts. Officers working during the holiday are scheduled to take compensatory time off later.

The Tan Phu Protection Forest Management Board’s forest protection force conducts a patrol.

At the same time, the large number of visitors during the holiday requires strict management. The Center for Communication, Tourism, Rescue and Conservation has increased personnel to guide visitors, while forest rangers have tightened supervision of ecotourism routes. Notably, given its shared border with the Kingdom of Cambodia, Bu Gia Map National Park coordinates closely with border guard stations to proactively prevent violations of forest laws and maintain border security.

Le Cong Su, Deputy Head of the Bu Gia Map National Park Forest Protection Division, said violators often take advantage of holidays and Tet to sneak into the forest to illegally harvest forest products and hunt wild animals. Therefore, patrol and sweep operations are consistently maintained. According to Su, while Bu Gia Map National Park recorded an average of more than 100 violations per year during the first 10 years after its establishment, the figure has fallen to fewer than 10 violations per year over the past five years. In the first eight months of 2026 alone, the park reported only one violation.

Beyond Bu Gia Map National Park, many forest management units in the city are also making every effort to "guard the forest through the holidays."

Nguyen Le Anh Tuan, Director of the Tan Phu Protection Forest Management Board, said the unit organizes 24/7 duty shifts at stations while maintaining mobile patrols day and night. About 50% of the workforce, or 45 employees, will remain on duty throughout the holiday. In key high-risk areas, staffing levels have been increased to meet operational requirements.

The Thac Mai–Bau Nuoc Soi area is one of the locations receiving special attention. During the holiday, the area attracts

a large number of visitors, increasing the risks of people getting lost in the forest or drowning, as well as of littering or causing damage to forest resources. Therefore, the force simultaneously performs the duties of preventing violations, reminding and guiding visitors, and remaining ready to participate in rescue operations when necessary.

Nguyen Trong Nhan, a forest protection officer at Sub-division IV of the Tan Phu Protection Forest Management Board, said spending the holidays away from home could sometimes leave them feeling wistful. However, that feeling quickly passed when everyone understood that they were doing important and meaningful work. "At the end of a shift or a holiday, what we hope for most is that the forest is peaceful, our teammates return safely, and the people entering the forest raise their awareness of protecting nature," said Nhan.

One of Nhan's most memorable experiences was when a four-member patrol team searched for a group of tourists who had lost their way in the Thac Mai–Bau Nuoc Soi forest area on a night of heavy rain. At the time, the La Nga River was rising, the forest paths were slippery, and visibility was limited. However, after more than three hours of trekking through the forest, the team reached the group of tourists, who were panicked, exhausted, and soaked, and brought them safely back to the station.

"That was when I understood that guarding the forest during the holidays also means keeping residents and visitors safe. Once everyone is safely back, all the team's fatigue vanishes," shared Nhan.

Based on the realities of forest protection work, Thuc and Nhan hope for continued investment in vehicles, protective gear, communication equipment, and remote monitoring technology, as well as additional policies to improve the lives and livelihoods of buffer-zone communities and provide better incentives for frontline forest protection personnel.

While the public is about to enjoy a long holiday, forest rangers are preparing for patrols deep in the woods, with their footsteps quietly continuing through the forests, contributing to the preservation of the environment for today and future generations.

By An Nhon – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha