Headed back to Cat Tien National Park!

I am very grateful for my current opportunity to return to Vietnam to collaborate with professionals at Cat Tien National Park in the central highlands. Thanks to the repeated encouragement from wildlife biologist Dr. Khanh Phamhuu, I applied for and received Fulbright funding to spend 3 weeks at Cat Tien.

We will be working on 3 specific areas: 1) nature interpretation styles and content, 2) in support of previous, strengthening conversational English skills of park staff by setting up a program by which English speaking park visitors volunteer to practice with staff, 3) mapping the large “heritage trees” in the jungle park. There are many species of these incredible trees in Cat Tien and I look forward to learning more about them and their natural history and how we can promote world-wide appreciation of their existence.

And there is a 4th goal: identify areas for future collaboration between the University of Montana and Cat Tien National Park. UM alread has a really strong relationship with Can Tho University (where I was hosted on my previous fellowship- thank you US State Department Professional Exchange Program!), and I think there is a lot of interest in expanding to new projects. I already have ideas.
I have enjoyed visiting with several Vietnamese professors at UM, most recently Dr. Quan Ha, professor of American Literature. He offered to make some contacts at the University of Da Lat (where he got his bachelor’s degree) but I don’t think I will have time logistically to get to Da Lat on this trip. However my husband and I visited Da Lat 2 years ago on vacation and it is a wonderful place. I hope for future connections with University of Da Lat.

I leave in less than one week. I’m busy preparing three lectures for the parks staff and the Forestry University in Bien Hoa. Topics: Grassland Conservation in Western Montana, Importance of Education in Conservation Efforts, GIS Applications in Missoula Invasive Plant Management. 

I am thrilled to be giving these lectures in fluent Vietnamese! Just kidding. I don’t speak Vietnamese. So I asked my friend Mr Tan Vo from Can Tho to be my interpreter and he agreed. Mr. Tan’s sister was my homestay host in Can Tho City 2 years ago and I am happy to see the whole Vo family again.