Saigon Xanh, a group of young volunteers dedicated to cleaning up polluted canals in HCMC, has crafted a boat from over 1,200 plastic bottles collected from the city’s waterways to aid in their river cleanup endeavor.
In an interview with the Saigon Tiep Thi news site, Nguyen Ngoc Luong, leader of Saigon Xanh, said, “The boat is designed to aid our team members in gathering trash from the deeper areas of canals and rivers, while also raising awareness about recycling. Discarded items can be recycled to serve various purposes in life and can contribute to reducing waste pollution.”
Moored along the Nhieu Loc Canal, adjacent to the Dien Bien Phu Bridge in District 1, the boat grabs the attention of passersby and tourists alike. Its presence serves as a tangible reminder of the collective effort needed to safeguard the environment for future generations.
Looking ahead, Saigon Xanh will collaborate with local partners to clean up the Nhieu Loc Canal. This endeavor is not only to enhance eco-tourism experiences there but also cultivate a deeper sense of environmental protection among citizens.
Red-headed cranes spotted at Kien Giang’s reserve
Nine red-headed cranes, scientifically known as Grus antigone sharpii, have been sighted at Phu My Reserve in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.
Lam Hong Tuan, deputy head of Phu My Reserve’s conservation management board, said that a flock of cranes appeared in the area on March 28. These nine cranes landed in the reserve’s buffer zone, searching for food. They continued foraging in the area the next day before returning to the Anlung Pring Conservation Area in Cambodia in the afternoon.
Tuan told the VnExpress news site that the area where the cranes landed is tranquil and has plenty of food for these birds. Local residents are urged to avoid disturbing the reserve to maintain a peaceful environment, thereby encouraging the cranes to return.
The red-headed crane is a rare and endangered species listed in both Vietnam’s Red Data Book and the IUCN Red List.
Cycling through three nations in scorching summer
Tran Trong An, 45, and four friends of his, all live in Hanoi, spent 16 days cycling to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and back to Vietnam on the scorching summer days, sometimes as high as 45 degrees Celsius, in March this year.
On March 4, An and his friends traveled by coach from Hanoi to Lao Bao Border Gate in Quang Tri Province. They cycled some 300km from the border gate to Pakse City in Laos’ Champasak Province. There, they ziplined to watch Tad Fane Waterfall and Khone Phapheng Falls before cycling to Cambodia via Stung Treng Border Crossing Station. They continued cycling to Siem Reap Province to visit the temple complex of Angkor Wat. Then they headed for Cambodia’s Poipet City and crossed the border to Thailand. They spent two days cycling around Bangkok to visit famous destinations of the capital city.
From Bangkok, the cyclists returned to Hanoi by air, ending their 16-day, 1,000km cycling trip through three Southeast Asian nations. An told vnexpress.net that the cycling trip from Vietnam to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and back to Vietnam cost them VND18 million each (equivalent to some US$720).
Young cow herder wins students’ running competitions
Pham Nguyen Thi Kim, a 12-year-old, sixth-grade student in Ky Anh District, Ha Tinh Province, won a bronze medal for the 3,000-meter distance for female students at a running competition held in the province in March this year. The image of the little girl arriving at the finish line barefoot in the rain went viral on social media.
One month earlier, Kim won a gold medal for the 3,000-meter run held by Ky Anh District. She was then admitted to the district’s running team (three female runners and five male ones) to compete at the aforementioned running tournament held by Ha Tinh Province. The provincial running competition attracted 132 students, including 42 females.
Kim is now living with her mother, twin sister, and elder brother. Her mom, Nguyen Thi Nhung, told thanhnien.vn that Kim began running when she was young, adding that the brother and twin sisters always try to herd cows and cook meals for their mother after school. Kim’s good running results encourage her brother and her twin sister to practice running with her every day.
