Green Nga Son mangrove forest

Under the hot, hot summer sun, but the coastal alluvial area of ​​Nga Son district has a quite cool climate thanks to the immense green mangrove forest. This is the end of the Len river flowing into Lach Sung estuary, dividing the boundary between Nga Son and Hau Loc districts. The decades-old ‘green lung’ runs for more than 5 km, not only helping to regulate the climate but also playing a great role in breaking waves and storms, protecting both large coastal areas and aquaculture areas. hundreds of hectares of Nga Son district.

With dozens of years old, Nga Son mangrove trees are quite thick, 5-7m high, the sour cork trees are even higher than 10m. With Mr. Mai Van Cong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Nga Thuy commune (Nga Son) and some local people, we went down the mangrove forest which was full of life. Although I have returned to this “green wall” nearly a dozen times, each time I come here, I have more interesting experiences. Standing on the sea dyke adjacent to the mouth of the Len River, zooming in on the green color, the end of the forest cannot be seen with the naked eye. According to research, the length of this coastal mangrove forest is more than 5 km, extending through the coastal area of ​​Nga Tan, Nga Thuy, Nga Tien, and Nga Thai communes. The deeper you go into the forest, a cool air spreads. The forest is a “crowded” of swamp plants, such as: cork, mangrove, tiger, parrot, creating a mutual plant population, resisting the harshness of storms and tidal waves. The forest trees here are on average 5 to 7 m high, many cork oak trees are about 10 m high. From the shaggy trunks, sprouted a dense root system like millions of arms embracing the marshy ground. Under the trees, when the tide recedes, all kinds of crabs, fishes, goby fish… fences and runs away when they see people’s shadows. That is to see, the “green lung” at this Nga Son estuary is an important habitat for aquatic species to grow and develop. This place is considered desolate, quite far from these residential areas, it is also the shelter and feeding place of many migratory birds, especially white storks and many native birds. Formerly deputy director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Nga Son district, who was assigned to monitor and manage the district’s mangrove forests, Mr. Mai Van Cong knows quite well the development history of each area of ​​the forest. According to him, with 450 hectares of coastal wetlands, from 1995 to 1996, Nga Son district was supported to plant mangroves under the sponsorship program of the Vietnam Red Cross. In the years 2005 – 2006, the forest continued to be intercropped and expanded by the Government’s new project of 5 million hectares of forest. According to management data of the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the area of ​​Nga Son mangrove forest is 347 hectares, of which Nga Thuy commune has 290 hectares. Currently, there are more than 20 local households in the district contracted to protect each forest area, so the conservation of the mangrove forest is quite good. When we came here, it was also the season when the mangrove trees were in bloom. According to local people, from April to July every year, the color of the flowers of tiger, parrot, cork, and mangrove species cover the whole forest. This is also the time, hundreds of households in the area bring tens of thousands of honey bee colonies to the forest edge to take advantage of the huge source of flowers. Honey from mangrove flowers has a characteristic aroma, light sweetness, and is loved by many people. Through each flowering season, the fruits of forest trees continue to fall into the swamp, many young buds and buds bloom, continue to grow and expand to the surrounding areas. The roots continue to deepen, creating a strong tree position, playing the role of preventing wind and waves, and protecting the safety of the dike. Inside the forest, the brackish water aquaculture area is considered the second largest in Thanh Hoa province, which is protected from storms and high tides. Well-preserved, Nga Son mangrove forest is considered to have the largest biomass in Thanh Hoa today with a system of mature trees that are decades old. The forest has been covered with a permanent green color, in addition to protecting the ecological environment, it also creates many livelihoods for residents around the area.