In the middle of a deserted field, Mr. Hien built an island to plant bamboo to call the storks back. After decades, he turned that wasteland into the “nest” of thousands of storks.
Over the past 20 years, people in Thanh Hoa city have been very familiar with the “stork island” of Mr. Nguyen Trong Hien’s family (54 years old, Dong Ve Ward, Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province). To have the “stork island” like today, few people know that for decades, Mr. Hien has attached and protected the storks like his own children.
Talking about the fate of storks, Mr. Hien said that in 1996 his family received more than 4 hectares of fallow land to build a model of fish and rice farm in Dong Ve Ward, Thanh Hoa city. This area of land that he received to reclaim is called Quai Vac lagoon, which has been abandoned for many years.
The man for more than 20 years “calls” tens of thousands of storks to the heart of the city
At one time, the elderly people told about Quai Vac lagoon, which used to be the home of many species of storks and cauldrons. However, during the years of resistance wars against the French and Americans, when Lai Thanh airport was built here (located about 500 m from the present Quai Vac lagoon), the storks and cauldrons had gone elsewhere.
In the hope of seeing storks, the old cauldron spread its wings and hovered over Quai Vac lagoon, Mr. Hien had the intention to build a bamboo island to “call” the storks back.
“Like storks, cauldrons always remember their ancestors, when I heard the old people tell about the history of this land, I immediately thought of creating an ecological model combined with rice farming and fish farming. And then I decided intends to build the island and plant bamboo to “call” the old storks back,” said Mr. Hien.
Thinking about doing it, for 8 months, Mr. Hien hired workers to dig the soil in a 4-hectare swamp and then build it into a small island. Then he planted all kinds of bamboo on the island to make a shelter for storks and cauldrons.
Mr. Hien recalls, when the stork island was completed not long ago, in the winter of 1999 dozens of storks flew back to nest. Every year, the storks return more and more, creating an “island of storks” in the heart of the city. Over the years, this place has also become an interesting destination for locals and tourists from all over the world.
According to Mr. Hien, there are many different species of birds living here on “stork island”. In addition to varieties of white storks, storks also have cranes, cauldrons, and starlings. “If you include the total number of birds on the island, there are currently about 28,000 birds. Like storks, cauldrons often migrate, so sometimes they go for a few months before returning. The most returning time is up to 30,000 birds.” , Mr. Hien said.
According to Mr. Hien, in addition to embellishing and planting more trees to create a landscape for the storks to live, the job of protecting the storks is very important. To avoid “hunters” harassing the storks, he had to hire 5 people to divide and protect the storks around the clock.
“It is said that the land is good for birds to land, if the storks are hunted by bad objects, they will leave somewhere else to live. For many years, I have considered protecting the storks as protecting my own children. On the other hand, the people and local authorities also love the stork island, so everyone has joined hands with me to protect the storks,” Mr. Hien confided.
Thanks to that, during the past 22 years, in the heart of the bustling city, “stork island” has always been cared for and protected. Every September, under the sunset at sunset, flocks of storks fly back here to stay, creating an unusually peaceful scene.
Mr. Le Van Duong, a resident of Dong Ve Ward, Thanh Hoa city shared: “I have only moved here for more than a year. When I come here to live, I am very impressed with the “stork island”. Witnessing the storks flying in the sky to live here, I feel like returning to the peaceful scenery in the village. Not only Mr. Hien, all of us always want the storks to be protected and cared for carefully. avoid bad objects hunting, vandalism”.
Talking about future plans, Mr. Hien wishes that “stork island” will become a famous tourist attraction in Thanh. And more than ever, he wants the storks here to always be protected and protected by everyone in the future. Follow Dân trí