GreenViet

GreenViet is a non-governmental organisation taking action to help communities understand and respect biodiversity in Central Vietnam and Central Highlands.

GreenViet works in biodiversity-rich Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands of Vietnam with communities to help them understand, respect, and adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle by researching, conserving and disseminating the values of biodiversity. They have a particular focus on the red-shanked douc langur, black-shanked douc langur, and the grey-shanked douc langur all of which are Critically Endangered.

In 2018, GreenViet field biologists discovered an isolated population of about 50 individuals of the grey-shanked douc langur in Tam My Tay Forest, Quang Nam Province, about 80 km further east than they were previously thought to occur and close to the East Sea.

The work that GreenViet has done so far, along with the huge support from the local communities and authorities, has resulted in the successful habitat protection of more than 1,300 individuals of the red-shanked douc langurs on Son Tra Nature Reserve (Danang), 60 individuals of grey-shanked douc langurs in Tam My Tay (Quang Nam) and 500 of the latter in Kon Plong Forest (Kon Tum).

GreenViet was the leading local organisation to prevent extensive tourism development on Son Tra Peninsula, saving the largest population of red-shanked douc langur.

In 2018, GreenViet opened the first Nature Education Centre in Danang City, at the base of Son Tra Mountain. This centre has served as a platform for local students and people in Danang to learn about the value of Son Tra Nature Reserve and its flagship animal – the red-shanked douc langur.

The team also organises trips for students and local people to visit the reserve, introducing them to the local wildlife in Son Tra. This contributes to building a network of Son Tra nature lovers who will monitor the wildlife in the nature reserve and continue to spread the message of the importance of wildlife protection to their communities.

Synchronicity Earth’s Asian Species Programme is supporting several branches of GreenViet’s work, including the community outreach in the Nature Education Centre, supporting community volunteers working as forest guards in Tam My Tay Forest (an important habitat for grey-shanked douc langurs), and research on the grey-shanked douc langurs of Kon Plong Forest which will inform further conservation efforts.