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| January 21, 2003 |
vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn |
by Hoang Nam For nearly three years, forestry departments across the nation have been using the Vietnamese Forest Biology CD-ROM, meaning that they’re never more than a few clicks of the mouse away from all the information they need to do their job well. The CD was compiled by 32-year-old ranger Phung My Trung from Dong Nai Province. It lists approximately 800 different kinds of flora and fauna native to Vietnamese forests. In the early 1990s, rookie-ranger Trung lost patience with the rife deforestation and poaching going on in Viet Nam. Many rangers were responding by arresting large numbers of people in the forest who were carrying animals or plants. However, they were unable to identify the species so they couldn’t tell who was pilfering endangered wildlife and who wasn’t. Trung racked his mind for a way to help rangers figure out exactly which flora and fauna were actually endangered, so they could conduct a more effective crack-down on the poachers. It wasn’t long before he realised that his solution would have to be hi-tech. However, having studied economics rather than electronics Trung lacked the technical know-how to pull it off. He also knew that a computer expert would in turn lack an in-depth knowledge of the forest. But Trung loved the forest and was determined not to give up. "I was born in a wooded area in the northern province of Vinh Phu. My grandfather, my father and numerous other relatives have all worked in forestry. The forest is something close and important to me," he said. Inspired by his passion, Trung began a four-year study of IT, English, forestry and biology. "I encountered numerous obstacles", he recalled. This included having to read hundreds of books on forestry and biology. Finally, in 2000, with the help of Vo Sy Nam, an IT student at HCM City’s Natural Science and Technology University, Trung produced his first forestry CD-ROM.
Applause As well as wildlife data, the CD also covered forestry law. When it was released it was greeted with applause from foresters all over the country. And his moment of glory did not end there. His work went on to win the software category of Viet Nam’s Intellectual Contest 2000. One year on, the Dong Nai People’s Committee decided to grant Trung US$25,000 to upgrade his work. With assistance from the People’s Committee, he was given permission to visit all Viet Nam’s national parks and preservation areas. These included Hoang Lien Son, Tam Dao, Ba Vi, Cuc Phuong, Nui Chua and Cat Tien. While there he conducted research, collected documents and took photographs. "The work was harder than before because I had to collect everything myself. I had to go into the forest often and stay there for months. I frequently lost my way, ran out of food and faced other threats from the forest so I’d like to thank many colleagues and scientists who provided me with so much help and encouragement," Trung said. He noticed that many animals and plants had disappeared from places where they had once been common. But he felt better when he saw that several other species had popped up in new locations. Earlier this month, the Vietnamese Forest Biology CD version 2.0 was submitted to the Dong Nai People’s Committee and was given an official trade mark. The new version includes around 6,000 native flora and fauna, with 6,000 corresponding illustrated pictures and 11,000 pages of documents. They’ve all been knocked together by Trung alone. "It was hard and lonely work because no one could help me. Some people might know a thing or two about IT, but there aren’t many people out there with forest knowledge like mine. I’m very pleased with my new project," he said. The CD is divided into three parts. It opens with a list of 4,000 different kinds of native flora. The latest version details 2,000 kinds of fauna, including 200 mammals, 131 reptiles, hundreds of insects, over 400 kinds of fish and 1,009 birds. On top of this it documents five newly discovered species of mammal. It also introduces hundreds of insects, 1,200 ornamental plants and 600 orchids with 400 colour pictures. Some have been named only recently. Each plant or animal is described in detail and the profile includes its typical habitat, range and how close it is to extinction. When it describes medicinal plants it tells you exactly what their effects are. Readers can search for wildlife by Vietnamese name, Latin name, family or species. Definition and forestry terms are explained simply, although the CD-ROM also has a Latin dictionary with around 10,000 words inside. "My CD covers only 70 per cent of animals and 40 per cent of plants in Viet Nam. I will continue my work for the new CD version but I need more help from authorities as well as scientists," Trung said. "The CD is a good tool and provides basic information about the forest for rangers, researchers, scientists, institutes, students and anybody. The author has pointed out what kinds of flora and fauna are rare and need to be protected and what kinds are worth a lot of money. It can help us protect nature more efficiently," said Dr Tran Hop, from the Biology Faculty of HCM City’s College of Natural Sciences. The author plans to add animal and bird sound effects to version 3.0. He has already collected over 300 bird calls. Trung is even thinking of establishing a website all about Vietnamese fauna and flora to try and stress to the international community just how important Vietnamese wildlife is. He is currently at work on a programme to alert rangers to fire risks during the dry season. — VNS
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Copyright Vietnam News |
