Cat Tien National Park is the first conservation area in Vietnam to achieve Green List certification from the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“This prestigious recognition underscores our commitment to preserving the unique biodiversity and natural heritage of Cat Tien,” said Pham Xuan Thinh, the park’s director, during a ceremony on June 21 to receive the recognition from the IUCN.
Jake Brunner, head of IUCN’s Lower Mekong Sub-region, emphasized that this recognition reflects the Vietnamese Government’s dedication to enhancing standards in protected area management, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
Located 150 kilometers north of HCMC, Cat Tien National Park extends across parts of three provinces: Dong Nai, Lam Dong, and Binh Phuoc. The park is home to 1,655 plant species and 1,720 animal species, including rare and endemic species unique to Vietnam.
The IUCN Green List is a global standard set to recognize conservation areas that have achieved successful results in nature conservation. The assessment process is conducted by an independent expert panel under close supervision by the IUCN.
Taxi driver comes to the rescue
On June 20, when Nguyen Xuan Chien, 24, a taxi driver living in Hanoi, was driving his cab down a pass in Tam Dao District, Vinh Phuc Province, he saw some people trying to rescue four victims whose car had fallen into the ravine below the pass.
Chien and others managed to bring the husband, who was thrown away from his car and injured, his wife and their two daughters back onto the road, and the kind taxi driver immediately drove them to the Tam Dao Health Center. On the way down the pass, the taxicab was escorted by police cars to the health center.
Chien stayed at the health station with the four victims, and he left there only when the doctor announced that all the four members of the family were safe. The story in which Chien and some other people saved the lives of four victims of a traffic accident went viral on social media, receiving thousands of “likes” and “shares” of netizens.
The young taxi driver told vnexpress.net modestly that many people would be willing to do like him to save the lives of those in need.
The effort of the father of a child with Down syndrome
Ho Thien Phuoc was born with Down syndrome into a family in Tan Phu District, HCMC. Now 26 years old, he is going to be a fifth grader at a vocational center for the disabled in the city.
As a disadvantaged child, Phuoc was sent to schools for disabled children when he was five years old. He began to speak at the age of seven. Ho Tuan Nghia, Phuoc’s father, then taught his son how to ride a bicycle. It took Phuoc even one year long to master the bicycle riding skill. Seven years ago, Nghia decided to retire to have more time to take care of his son. Ever since, Phuoc has had a chance to attend some sporting clubs for the disabled.
Phuoc loves playing bocce, a ball sport belonging to the boules family. Last year, he won an individual gold medal at a tournament for the disabled in HCMC. He also won a team bronze medal at a football match held for the disabled in Thailand.
In their old house, the medals won by Phuoc from sporting events for the disabled are evidence of his own progress as well as the pride of his parents, thanhnien.vn reported.
From drug addict to woodshop owner
Pham Thanh Chuong, 59, a former drug addict for 16 years, has succeeded in rehabilitation and become a good person in society.
Chuong told plo.vn that in 1990, he left Nghe An for settling down in Cu Jut District, Dak Nong Province, and getting married there. Later, he followed some young people to search for gold in Dak Lak Province. He began smoking opium and soon became an addict. Many times did he try to quit opium smoking, but to no avail.
Having been sent to rehab centers several times, not until 2007 did Chuong succeed in rehabilitation and was sent back home. Seeing the poverty-stricken life of his wife and children, he decided to do any decent job to improve their living condition.
After a few years working as a security guard for a company, Chuong shifted to running a small chick hatchery at home. In 2017, he could build a new house for his family in Cu Jut. Then he opened a small woodshop at his house, making furniture and wooden handicrafts for guests upon their request. He has also bought a plot of land as savings for all his family’s members.
