A group of students have planted 1,000 native trees in Quang Tri Province’s Dakrong Nature Reserve as part of a bid to inspire fellow Vietnamese to turn Vietnam green.

The four students, known as the Green Era Group, all attend Le Quy Don High School in Quang Tri’s Dong Ha City.

The Green Era initiative first began last August and has since raised over VND120 million (US$4,884), all of which was spent on purchasing the 1,000 saplings.

By mid-May, the trees had been planted for about six month and had grown to about 10 centimeters.

The planting of these trees is a sign that the revitalization of the barren hills and impoverished forests of the Dakrong Nature reserve is just around the corner.

The Green Era Group began fundraising in August 2023 by presenting their plan to green Dakrong to organizations around Quang Tri.  

The response to these presentations far exceeded expectations, and the donations came flooding in, according to Green Era Group’s leader 11th-grader Lam Hong Phuc.

In just three months, the group was able to raise over VND120 million for their project and, by the end of 2023, had gathered a group of 50 student volunteers to cultivate 1,000 native trees in the reserve.

“Each additional tree mitigates the adverse impacts of climate change,” Phuc shared.

“Every new expanse of greenery inspires us to persist in our journey.”

Inspiring reforestation

For several years, Quang Tri Province has been under a constant barrage of climate change-induced drought, flooding, and landslides. 

Green Era Group hopes their work to reforest the area will help safeguard soil, curb erosion, and mitigate flash floods that trigger some of these natural disasters.

Over the next few years, through 2028, they plan to nurture their newly planted forest to maturity so that it can do its part in curbing the effects of climate change. 

They also plan to continue raising money in order to plant more trees in new areas.

Aside from tree planting, the group works to raise awareness about forest conservation and uses social media and donations to advocate for reforestation and afforestation. 

They have plans in the works to organize forums for environmental, educational, cultural, and tourism stakeholders to discuss sustainable living and climate change adaptation.

The end goal of these efforts is to provide young people with the skills they need to become ambassadors capable of promoting afforestation.

“When you plant a tree today, you’re not just sowing seeds, you’re also planting hope and aspiration,” said Phuc. 

“When you return to that tree, it will welcome you by stretching its branches into the open sky and firmly rooting itself into the earth below." 

Truong Quang Trung, director of the Dakrong Nature Reserve, lauds the project’s impact and hopes it continues to grow.

“The importance of the Green Era Group's idea far surpasses the age of its members,” Trung said. 

“I hope that they continue with their passion for the forest so we can work toward a more environmentally sustainable future.”

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