Buddhist community participation in mangrove conservation in Tien Giang Province

On January 19 2013, MFF participated in two events in Tien Giang Province, Viet Nam: an award ceremony for paintings of mangroves; and a visit to a mangrove plantation on Loi Quan Island.  Both events were organized by MFF grantee Phu Thoi Pagoda. 

The painting contest was launched in October 2012 in collaboration with the Tien Giang Literature and Arts Association for all primary school children. A select list of 20 best paintings were chosen of the more than 600 paintings received from 64 schools in Viet Nam. The award ceremony was held at Phu Dong Primary School in Tan Phu Dong District. 

During the award ceremony Monk Thich Thien Chau affirmed that love of nature is fundamental to Buddhism and spoke about the interaction between humans and the ecosystems on which we depend. "In Buddhism, trees or plants are considered living beings which must be treated with love and care" he stated. Ending his remarks, Monk Thich Thien Chau asked all participants to join efforts in conserving nature through practical action and appealed “each person should plant at least one mangrove”.

After the award ceremony, nearly 200 participants took part in a mangrove plantation event at Con Cong Hamlet, Phu Tan Commune. About 500 seedlings of Sonneratia sp. were planted in an area affected by rapid coastal erosion and had been previously used as an aquaculture site.

The event was actively participated by schoolchildren who learned valuable lessons on the importance of mangrove areas and the ecosystem services they provide.