Most recently, more than 20 pupils and students across Da Nang experienced a memorable Sunday with many meaningful activities at the ‘Youth Autumn Camp for the Environment’.

The camp attracts young people from 16 - 21 years old.

The camp was co-organised by the Eco Station and the city-based Green Viet’s Nature Education and Experience Centre with the sponsorship of the Centre for Action and Collaboration for Environment and Development (CHANGE). It has been held in Da Nang for the first time.

Themed ‘Son Tra from the Forest to the Sea’, the camp aimed to provide the participants with useful knowledge about plastic waste and its impact on forest and marine ecosystems, especially on the Son Tra Peninsula.

Also, its purpose was to raise the youth’s awareness on environmental issues, as well as appeal them to join efforts with the municipal government in reducing plastic waste.

During the programme, the young people took part in many meaningful activities, including learning about the peninsula’s ecology, collecting trash and learn about 7 types of plastic waste and how to sort them at source, practice a way of life that reduces plastic waste, taking a peninsula tour and see brown-shanked douc langurs and other typical plants.

As one of the campers, Nguyen Dinh Minh, 21, said that learning about plastic waste helped him gain knowledge to protect the environment and to operate animal protection campaigns in a more effective manner. Not only that, the camp also gave Minh the opportunity to interact and connect with other young people and experience the natural beauty of the Son Tra Peninsula.

Despite being born and growing up in Da Nang, this is the first time 16-year-old Phan Thi Thao Nhi, a pupil of the Le Quy Don Senior High School for the Gifted, has visited the Son Tra Peninsula and seen brown-shanked douc langurs there with her own eyes.

As shared by Nhi, the camp helped her have a better understanding of plastic waste and how to effectively sort the waste at source.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, the Educator at the Nature Education and Experience Centre, expressed that these aforementioned activities help young people to receive knowledge actively by combining theory and actual observation. She noticed positive signals when many young people are interested and attracted by stories about beauty the peninsula and great efforts made by many organisations in protecting the tourist site.

As one of the co-founders of the Eco Station, 19-year-old Ngo Quoc Hoang, who is studying in the Natural Resources and Environment Management Major at the Da Nang University of Education, shared about the reason for choosing plastic waste as the theme of the camp.

According to Hoang, from this year, Da Nang is carrying out many activities towards a plastic waste free city, and the Eco Station wants to contribute its efforts to help the city realise its overall goal.

The camp not only creates a healthy playground for young people, but also gives them a chance to demonstrate their responsibility in promoting the city's images.

Young people are taught how to sort plastic waste whilst collecting trash

A young person seeing brown-shanked douc langurs on the Son Tra Peninsula

Reporting by THU DUYEN - Translating by M.DUNG