In September, PanNature welcomed new faces joining the team. Ms. Dao Thu Hien and Ms. Nguyen Thanh Van are experiencing start-up work in their probation terms. Both Hien and Van graduated from the Department of Environmental Science of Hanoi National University of Natural Sciences.
This activity was firstly implemented from 30th April till 30th May 2008 in three villages namely, Khau lan (Quyet Tien commune), Lang Tan 2 (Thanh Van Commune), Lung Tam Thap (Lung Tam Commune) in Quan Ba district of Ha Giang province. It is part of the Environmental Awareness Piloting Programme implemented by PanNature for the Quan Ba District Integrated Community Development Project of Caritas Switzerland.
People and Nature Reconciliation has launched the publication “Field Guide to the Large Mammals of Vietnamâ€. This publication is printed in both Vietnamese and English languages with financial support from the World Bank/Netherlands Partnership Program and the Sida Environment Fund (SEF).
In 29 and 30 of May 2008, in Luong Son district (Hoa Binh province), PanNature hosted the journalist workshop to share thoughts and experience with the media on the theme “Development and Environmental Trade-off in Vietnam’s Context†. Environmental experts and journalists got together, discussed and agreed that environmental values should not be sacrified merely for economic benefits.
From 14 to 16 April 2008, PanNature received a distinguished visitor from the United Kingdom - world-renowned children’s author Lauren Child. The visiting team, including Lauren, her friend Adrian Darbishsire, and Katja Pellini from UNESCO Vietnam, spent two days in Quan Ba district of Ha Giang province.
PanNature is working with the GTZ project to assess level of awareness and understanding of sustainable coastal zone management and general environmental issues of different stakeholders of the project. In addition to carrying out field assessment in three districts of Soc Trang province, PanNature also train staff of the district project teams on assessment techniques and data analysis skills.
From mid 2007 until end of 2008, Caritas works with PanNature to implement environmental awareness raising activities geographically in three selected villages: Lang Tan (Thanh Van Commune), Khau Lan (Quyet Tien Commune), and Lung Tam Thap (Lung Tam Commune).
The existing internship program aims to increase the reach of PanNature to those interested in environmental protection in Vietnam.
PanNature’s news website (www.ThienNhien.Net) is one of a few online media dedicated to environmental reporting in Vietnam. ThienNhien.Net aims to bring up environmental issues and disputes to the public fora, as well as to provide sufficient sources of information for decision-makers in solving conflicts and problems.
Every Sunday at 7.30am, volunteers for PYNet, which stands for Network Promoting Youth to Act for Community and Develop-ment, gather at the Ly Thai To monument to start their cycling tour around Ha Noi. Since the project got rolling in September, with support from People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) and Ban Tay Viet Limited Co, enthusiastic volunteers from all over the country have been participating.