Childhood Memories in Vietnam’s Forests

From Vietnam's Forests: A Life Dedicated to Environmental Advocacy

Forests - Climate action

As a child growing up in rural Vietnam, a verdant forest served as a source of food and infinite entertainment for my imaginary friends and me. While I was a small child, my mom and I would go on nature treks and gather wild delicacies like bamboo shoots, rabbits, and berries. Traditional meals were built around forest-gathered items, which not only improved our nutrition but also served as the foundation for many more.

The forest, where I had spent my formative years, deteriorated before my eyes as a consequence of a long-term drought, and I watched in sorrow as smoke ascended from the trees one summer. The forest fire that decimated our trees also wiped out our food supply. Wild mushroom soup, berry preserves, and rabbit stew were all out of the question. The tragedy had a physical and emotional impact on everyone in our community.

It was then that the thought occurred to me that the tables we use for eating are fundamentally a part of our houses. Not preserving the forests is the same as eradicating the trees and the traditions around the food we were raised with, in my opinion. In addition to bringing people together, building ties, and maintaining cultural history, the joy of sharing a meal is contagious.

Since I was a little girl, my lifelong goal has been to study the environment in order to protect the woods that have provided for my family and countless others. I spoke at length on the need to plant trees and put a stop to slash-and-burn farming, two examples of the many topics we discussed in my speeches on forest preservation.

I made careful to emphasize to them how remarkable it is that a single tree can reduce wind speed, feed animals, and give shelter. A beautiful table where we may have our evening meals together is located nearby, under the shade of a lone tree. A tree needs twenty years to reach full maturity before it can start producing fruit.

As the discussion continued, individuals began to grasp the material and make headway. More than merely a resource for construction, trees are now appreciated for their role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. We have now come to terms with the fact that protecting forests is essential and that we cannot achieve this goal in a vacuum.

Deforestation also endangers Vietnam's sustainable food supply and its famous culinary history. Traditional dishes like bamboo shoot soup and braised beef can continue to be enjoyed by future generations if we band together to protect our lush forests. So that future generations can eat these delicacies unrestricted, it is our ethical duty to keep this area unspoiled. We shouldn't allow the meals gone as we enjoyed in our childhood ; instead, we should look for ways to incorporate them into our present lives.