In recent days, the Nature Education and Experience Centre on Da Nang’s Son Tra Peninsula, located at 70 Ly Tu Tan, has been enlivened with a bustling ambience as a large number of local school pupils gathered here to explore the biodiversity of the Son Tra Nature Reserve.

School pupils being introduced to the biodiversity of the Son Tra Nature Reserve at the Nature Education and Experience Centre

The centre, which was built by the city–based Centre of Biodiversity Conservation, GreenViet, with total fund of 1.2 billion VND (53,000 USD), made its debut last month.

The venue aims at offering free education and nature experiences to school pupils and university students across the city, and welcoming anyone who want to grasp an insight into the peninsula.

During their visits to the Nature Education and Experience Centre, the visitors are able to study the fauna and flora of the reserve, and learn more about endangered species, hereby raising their awareness of environmental and wildlife protection.

The venue has attracted a great deal of attention of school pupils.

Le Nhat Huy, a Year 7 male pupil from the Son Tra District-located Ly Tu Trong Junior High School, excitedly said, “Our extracurricular activities held at the Centre is really exciting and practical. Here, we can see the beautiful images of the red-shanked douc langurs, and many types of insects living on the peninsula”.

Year 2 pupil Da Nang Hai An from the Nguyen Phan Vinh Primary School showed her keen interest in colouring a red-shanked douc langur picture.

She was very impressed by the colourfulness of this endangered primate species which sports maroon-red ‘stockings’ from its knees to its ankles, and appears to wear white forearm length ‘gloves’.

Its look is accentuated by black hands and feet.

The animal’s face is so cute that those who see it at first can not keep their eyes off it.

According to Dr Ha Thang Long, the GreenViet Chairman, during the first year of operation, the Centre is expected to welcome a total of more than 3,000 school pupils and university students across the city.

It is noticeable that the centre, about 6km away from the reserve, also host field trips into the jungle for nature lovers.

Besides, a wide range of such highly meaningful activities as the screening of films on the peninsula, wildlife study, painting contests, environmental cleanups, and planting trees on the peninsula usually take place here.

Through the establishment of the Centre, Dr Ha and his GreenViet colleagues want to nurturing a love of the nature in local residents and visitors so that more and more people will be actively engaged in protecting the homeland’s green spaces.