Dong Rui

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Our motorcade load up and headed out promptly at 6:50 am. Our destination, Dong Rui Commune, Tien Yen District, Quan Nih Province. It was raining heavily and the humidity high. Our schedule was tight but subject to change due to weather and it's affect on areas we were to visit and participate in planting. The landscape here is green and chocked full of trees everywhere. Our first stop was a school where we to participate in a welcoming and awards ceremony. Attendees included local town folk, local leaders, celebrities, members of the red cross, and representative of the People's Republic. There were lots of speeches and thanks you's mostly spoken in Vietnamese and Japanese. Some attempts at English were made but we had our translator to brief us on what was going on. The venue was a school house with the coolest courtyard. After speeches and awards and lots of pictures we headed to the planting sight. We disembarked and headed to the fields where planting was already going on by local folk and authorities. The countryside here is beautiful. After an hour and a half we loaded up the vans. It rained heavily the entire time. I was soaking wet. We headed to a former planting site where there was a plaque and ribbon cutting ceremony by local officials. We stopped off for lunch at a rural restaurant. Not our original plan but due to weather conditions things changed. I can't tell you what I ate but the green leafy vegetables and steamed fish were awesome. The chicken and pork belly, not so much. The prawns were served hole. Too much work to eat for me. After lunch I went to the restroom,open air. I peeked over a concrete wall to see a yard full of chickens and a pen full of pigs. For the rest of the afternoon I kept thinking to my self, we just ate those. Post lunch our motorcade visited two more former planting sites so we could see how the trees had matured and the landscape changed. Lots of pics and speeches on mangrove trees, types of species, etc. Lots of rain. More nature than I ever had to this date but so interesting. A two hour return trip to reach the hotel. Dinner was at 6pm sharp and preceeded by more speeches and a briefing from the Secretariat of the group about the days activities and tomorrow's agenda. Dinner was nice but some of the food gave me pause. I ate so as not to offend the hosts sitting at our table. We had another presentation of giving of certificates of appreciation to all participants. After dinner just as with the first night I stayed and the some drinks back and get to know some folks from the other side of the world.who needs language when you have liquor.

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Comments

[Karen Banks]

Mangrove Trees
So please explain about the Mangrove trees. Why are they planting so many, and is that the only tree that you are planting? Is there some special significance to the Mangrove Tree? I'm trying to understand why your company has sent you thousands of miles away to plant trees?

[CraigNdem]

Why Plant so many Mangroves
Well Karen, Mangroves help to prevent global warming, they can protect us from tidal waves and tsunamis by functioning as coastal breakwaters. All the plants form photosynthesis, a system by which plants absorb sun light, carbon dioxide and water to obtain there energy. During this process plants release oxygen in to the atmosphere. Plant usually photosynthesize on there leaves but the great part about Mangroves is that is can photosynthesis using its root and store large amounts of carbon dioxide in to its body. Humans emit large amounts carbon dioxide in our daily lives contributing to green house effect gas and global warming. Mangroves serve as breakwaters preventing soil and sand from sliding into the sea and cause corals to die. Mangroves prevent waves from high tides or tsunamis from surging in to the land. Many living micro organisms in hair around mangroves. These micro organisms consume the fallen leaves of Mangroves. The micro organisms are eaten by crabs and prawns which then are eaten by bigger fish and will be eaten by humans as well. This cycle forms a continuous chain. If the chain breaks, well that's not good for all. I hope this helps.

[Karen Banks]

Mangrove Trees
So please explain about the Mangrove trees. Why are they planting so many, and is that the only tree that you are planting? Is there some special significance to the Mangrove Tree? I'm trying to understand why your company has sent you thousands of miles away to plant trees?