AEP Students on developing a sense of adventure at Cuc Phuong National Park

05 Jan 2016 AEP Administrator

December 9-11, 2015, K44 and K46A students of the Advanced Education Program of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry with Dr. Arinafril as visiting lecturer from Sriwijaya University in Indralaya, Indonesia altogether went to Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh province for their field trip for the subjects Integrating Environmental Science and Management and also Water and Society, of course with the help former students of AEP namely Lan Phương, Minh Hà and Dong Thi Linh Chi as teacher assistants. The trip was for improving awareness about conservation of the beauty of nature, wildlife and cultural heritage by understanding and at the same time enjoying the place through learning of the essential qualities of the national park. Indeed, Cuc Phuong National Park is a welcoming and inspiring place to visit where everybody is invited to explore, to discover and deeply understand the value of special qualities of the national park being the oldest and the first in Vietnam since1962. This is one of the places where students can develop a sense of adventure and learning and most specially to be able to contribute in the achievement of future functioning ecosystem and sustainable future. 

 

The activities of the students were as follows: Differentiate natural and urban ecosystem, determine the landscape ecology in the national park, how the people manage the national park, knowledge of the employees about - bio indicators, introduced and invasive alien species, environmental laws associated with the national park and find out the various activities for the people who visit the national park. Also finding out what species of plants, animals and insects are present near the water bodies that the students visited, how the water is being used by the local people and how nature is doing its part in cleaning up the water by means of the presence of some phytoremediants in the area. To understand deeply the relationships among people, place and nature. Aside from the adventure part of this field learning experience, students also encountered some local people around the national park promoting strong sense of local identity by doing local business. 
According to the information from Cuc Phuong tourism, the park is located 120 km southwest of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam and situated in the provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa. It presents cultural and wildlife heritage and enchanting scenery. The magnificent limestone mountains rise up majestically from the green rice terraces and traditional stilt houses of the Muong-hill tribe which proudly to form a habitat for some of the Asia’s rarest species that is completely why students, researchers, naturalists, enthusiasts and conservationist are very much interested to discover the national park and its qualities. 

 

The students visited the Endangered Primate Rescue Center and Turtle Conservation Center (TCC) which thankfully are supported by many countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Switzerland and many others aside from the Vietnamese government. With the Vietnam Primate Conservation Program, definitely Vietnam is on the TOP, where 25 primate species listed under the 25 world’s most endangered primates which is equal to 20%of the world’s most endangered primates occur in Vietnam where most of the populations are still decreasing through poaching. The Turtle Conservation Center started in 1998 and it’s established by Fauna and Flora International (FFI) as a part of a larger conservation initiative focused on Cuc Phuong National Park. But in 2001, management of the project was transferred to the national park. Today, TCC remains the flagship from efforts to protect tortoises and freshwater turtles in Vietnam. 
The national park put efforts in awareness and education that increases public awareness of the need to protect wildlife as a fundamental first step to protecting tortoises and freshwater turtles in Vietnam. Aside from this, the national park has shown rescuing and holding activities for confiscated turtles, building interests and expertise, research studies and conservation breeding producing the next generation since turtles are heading for extinction due to the demand for specialty dishes and traditional medicine made from wildlife. 

 

The group also went to the Botanical Garden, some lakes and then head to the Primary forest in 3 days period. In the primary forest, everybody saw the wild Cuc Phuong and evergreen limestone forest. Although it’s difficult to see wild animals in the dense forest but many of those species and thousands more could be all around that is why people are advised to stay very quiet while trekking. 
These activities are part of community participation in securing the forest’s future by raising conservation awareness and understanding of the role of people in protecting places like Cuc Phuong.