Dang Thai Tuan is just a 3^rd year student at the University of Danang – University of Science and Education (UD-UED) but he has had 3 years of experience as the Chairman of the ENV Danang Club. With more than 30 young volunteers, Tuan and the Club not only contribute to raising the awareness of wildlife protection for the nature of Son Tra in Da Nang, but also inspire and join hands to protect the environment and biodiversity in order to make this city really “worth living” and become an attractive destination for tourists.

ENV Club -  Chairman Dang Thai Tuan in a media event about the environment

Photo: Today's Publication, The People Newspaper

From the love of rare animals to the Chairman of ENV Club

In the new years of entering high school, when the trend of raising rare and strange animals started, Thai Tuan was passionate about following the associations and groups to collect, exchange and play with wild animals. Thai Tuan shared "If you like them, let them live in the natural environment, don't bring them back and put them in cages, even if you try to take care of them, you still can't give the animals a desired life".

Introducing the Pygathrix Nemaeus - a rare animal of Son Tra Peninsula to visitors

Tuan often invited friends to drive to Son Tra to see the Pygathrix Nemaeus, passionately learning information about this rare animal at the GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre. Since then, Tuan has volunteered to participate in GreenViet through many rounds of research, understanding the diverse and unique ecosystem of Son Tra Peninsula, thereby actively communicating for the community to join hands to protect the natural environment of Da Nang.

In 2019, Tuan received a new assignment as the Chairman of ENV Da Nang Club to connect the youth and enthusiasm of volunteers participating in the survey and discovery to report to the appropriate authorities in order to rescue wild animals that were hunted, traded; and propagate the Law on Biodiversity Conservation.

Propagating to protect wildlife

and biodiversity of the environment

Up to now, Tuan and the Club have detected, prevented and coordinated with appropriate authorities more than 500 times to handle violations of wildlife conservation in restaurants, pubs, and oriental medicine stores or residential homes.

Young people also organized a variety of communication activities, thereby introducing images and natural beauty of Son Tra as well as Da Nang, mobilizing high school students to sign and volunteer to participate in propaganda to protect biodiversity.

Participating in rescuing wild animals when necessary

to return them to the natural environment

Last October, in the late evening, as soon as there was news that a python had strayed into the campus of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department No. 5 (Cam Le District, Da Nang), Tuan was unafraid of danger and came right away, together with everyone else, they arrested and handed over the python (1.3m long, about 4kg) to the Son Tra rangers to release into the wild.

Joining hands to act for a healthy environment

and biodiversity in Da Nang

In addition to wildlife conservation activities, the 3^rd year student of UD-UED also established an ECO Station to communicate, spread awareness and develop green living skills for young people in Da Nang, thereby inspiring about protection of green, fresh environment and biodiversity for this worth living city to become more and more attractive and attract tourists.

Tuan also enthusiastically introduced and helped mountainous locals consume agricultural products for their livelihood and economic development, contributed to changing the community's perception that: Exploiting benefits from forests but not destroying the environment .

With passion for forest trips, discovery of nature, he was cherishing and wishing to develop an eco-tourism model with the Nam O fishing village community. Tuan said, “Despite difficulties, I always strive to do better for the community which brings me joy even small things”.

(*) Photos before the COVID-19 pandemic 

UD - Center for Learning Resources and Communication