Field trips for our partners to PanNature’s field operation in Van Ho

In October 2023, PanNature organized a field trip for our partners of the Green Livelihood Alliance program (GLA2), including the Southern Institute of Ecology and the Tropical Forestry Research Center (Trobenpos), to Van Ho district, Son La province to visit the agricultural and forestry production model adapting to climate change. The tour was sweaty, but it yielded many pleasant fruits from PanNature’s operations that had been cultivated in Van Ho for many years.

The team inspected the reforestation area on steep slopes in Pa Cop village, Van Ho commune, and witnessed the growing pineapple model mixed with fruit trees on sloping land and the bamboo shot production model owned by women in Xuan Nha commune. The forest strip in Van Ho is home to the endangered Northern White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys). Together with the Van Ho Gibbon Protection Group, the team came across a single gibbon feeding on a tree. This is a rare occurrence because gibbons frequently come out to eat early in the morning and isolated areas. Moreover, Van Ho’s weather is normally foggy throughout the year, making viewing from afar difficult.

Yet, the group continued to climb the mountain at an altitude of 1200m and discovered a rare Amentotaxus argotaenia with a diameter of over 50 cm; at the same time, they took photos of many valuable plant species such as Disporopsis longifolia, Nervilia fordii, flower sampling of some rare herbaceous plants such as Aeschynanthus spp and Gesneriacea species, and Monaceae species, Araceae, Begonia, Hoya, Impatiens…  There may be some species new to science and have yet to be reported.

Students form Thai Nguyen University were visiting PanNature’s Northwest Office in Van Ho (Photo: PanNature)

Another group of special guests involves the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry graduate students led by Asso. Prof. Dr. Ho Ngoc Son, who visited PanNature’s Northwest Office in Van Ho, Son La. During the visit, the delegation learned about PanNature’s activities in Son La, participated in discussions about environmental issues and climate change in Van Ho District, and learned about two sustainable livelihood models supported and promoted by PanNature in Xuan Nha commune, Van Ho District, Son La Province: the Agroforestry Model combining Mango and Pineapple, and the Xu family’s conversion of unproductive short-term crops on sloping land to cultivate Taiwan giant bamboo.