Youth Planting Trees for Green Living in Mountain Town

The young people of Pleiku city in Gia Lai have been transforming the landscape by planting thousands of trees in barren hills and empty lands. Not only does this greenify the red basalt soil, but it also provides an additional source of income for the local community.

The young environmentalists of Pleiku are actively participating in reforestation – Photo: C.K.

“”Ever since I was young, I’ve loved gardening. Seeing the environment becoming increasingly polluted and the Central Highlands suffering from floods due to deforestation, I wanted to join with other young people to make our homeland greener. Just planting one tree each can make the Earth greener,”” shared Le Tuan Thanh, leader of the Vong Tay Yeu Thuong Club, who initiated the idea of planting trees and picking up trash.

Working Together Creates Impact

As a child, Thanh would plant any fruit seed at his home, turning his garden into a green haven. As he grew older, he encouraged his colleagues and friends to plant trees at their workplaces and homes. Subsequently, he called for participation in the “”Green Journey”” project, which started planting trees in May.

The Vong Tay Yeu Thuong Club, in collaboration with Pleiku Youth Union, launched the Green Sunday initiative, cleaning up trash and planting warning signs in Tan Son, Pleiku. Thanh explained that they planted 80 mai trees at Lam Vien Bien Ho to beautify the popular tourist spot. The lake area already had many pine trees, but there were still barren areas. Thanh mobilized people to join in planting more trees.

“”When the trees bloom in spring, I think it will make Bien Ho’s scenery even more beautiful. We are reminding everyone to be conscious about the increasingly alarming environmental pollution,”” Thanh stated.

Thanh shared information about the reforestation program on his personal Facebook. The Con Duong Xanh Club members from Can Tho traveled to Pleiku to participate. Nguyen Tan Doi, who made the journey twice from Can Tho, said, “”Learning about the program was very appealing. Planting more trees to preserve forests and soil is beneficial for the environment. I especially like planting kơnia trees, which will provide income for the ethnic communities from their seeds.””

Thanks to over 40 million VND raised by many contributors in early August, the volunteers planted 12,000 different types of trees in Gao, Pleiku, and Thang Loi Ward, as well as in the logistical area of the 3rd Military Region.

Shades of Kơnia Trees Ahead

In June, the project successfully gathered over 2,000 kơnia trees. The volunteers, along with the Pleiku Youth Union, planted them in Gao with the hope of not only greening the area but also providing a new source of income through the seeds. They also conducted programs to educate the ethnic communities about limiting and eventually abandoning the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture.

To further help the ethnic communities, 1,000 trees were planted in Ayun Pa, Gia Lai. Of these, 200 were for shading streets, and 800 fruit trees were given to disadvantaged families. “”Kơnia is a characteristic forest tree of the Central Highlands, hardy and thriving in hilly areas, making it effective for reforestation. The economic value of its seeds will encourage the locals to protect the trees and the forest,”” said Thanh.

Despite the rainy weekends, Doan Thi Van from the remote Iagrai district brought her daughter to participate in the latest planting activity. “”I want my daughter to see firsthand how these young people treat nature by planting more trees for a cleaner Earth,”” she said.

Meanwhile, young people from Chu Se district, over 40km from Pleiku, woke up at 5 am and rode through the cold rain to the meeting point for mountain planting. “”We find this meaningful and want to be a part of it. It’s not about doing something grand. I like Thanh’s call to action – if each of us plants one more tree, we will have a cleaner environment,”” expressed Pham Van Lai.

Le Tuan Thanh: A Passionate Environmentalist

Le Tuan Thanh, a lieutenant in the logistics team of PC11, Gia Lai Provincial Police temporary detention facility, leads the Vong Tay Yeu Thuong Club with various social welfare activities, particularly in environmental protection. Apart from encouraging tree planting and trash collection, the club’s uniform bears the slogan “”Vietnamese Do Not Litter,”” promoting widespread community awareness.
Le Tuan Thanh was honored with a commendation by the Central Youth Union for his significant contribution to the Green March campaign. Additionally, in 2021, the Gia Lai Provincial Union awarded him a commendation for being an exemplary individual in social welfare activities. “”I am deeply inspired by the line, ‘One tree makes a forest, and the forest will grow greener, preserving the land of our homeland,’ from the song ‘A Lifetime, One Forest.’ Therefore, I continue to strive towards greening the land of my hometown,”” Thanh expressed.

(Source: Tuổi Trẻ Newspaper)