Primeval forest in the middle of residential areas
Located near the sea, between the basalt land bordering Hien Thanh and Vinh Hoa communes (Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province), Ru Linh primeval forest is likened to the green lung leaves of the region. Ru Linh owns a rich vegetation such as green lim, reed, wild chestnuts, agarwood, domestic workers... In particular, this is home to many species of birds, animals and many unidentified plants.
When mentioning Ru Linh, people in Vinh Linh district remember Mr. Nguyen Dinh Trong (born in 22, Hoa Binh village, Hien Thanh commune) - who has been involved in forest protection for 45 years. Since his twenties, returning to his hometown after many years as an irrigation worker, Mr. Trong has been responsible for protecting Ru Linh forest.
Mr. Trong's memories are filled with unforgettable memories. When people were still poor after the war, deforestation occurred frequently. Despite the danger, he quietly patrolled and prevented each group of people from going into the forest to cut down trees and hunt animals. Once, he was beaten to death by a group of forest bandits when they discovered them digging a long-standing long-standing long-standing tree. Many times, he was threatened by road closures, his motorbike was thrown into the ravine, his house was rocked, and his wife and children were even threatened.
However, he did not falter and did not leave Ru Linh. Thanks to that, Ru Linh has now become an important protective forest with a total area of 101 hectares, strictly managed by the local forest rangers. The situation of deforestation and hunting is no longer the same as before.
The name of the forest ranger given to the new tree species
In 2022, when his strength was weak, Mr. Trong stopped his daily forest protection patrol work. However, he often returned to the forest, guiding researchers, students to learn about Ru Linh.
In March 2025, plantologists from the Institute of Life Sciences, the Central Institute for Scientific Research and the Kagoshima University Museum (Japan) officially announced a new plant species belonging to the genus Lasianthus (fromomomom), named Lasianthus trongii - after Mr. Nguyen Dinh Trong. This is a new plant species collected in the forests of Quang Tri and Quang Binh, in which Ru Linh was the first location to discover specimens.
Dr. Le Tuan Anh (Central Institute for Scientific Research) said that naming the tree species after Mr. Trong is to honor the person who has made great contributions to protecting Ru Linh forest for 45 years.
Normally, the new species name will be named after the place name, the discoverer or the person with the protectionism. For Mr. Trong, although not an official ranger, his attachment and dedication are something worth appreciating and worth remembering" - Dr. Anh shared.
Knowing the above information, Mr. Trong was moved, not thinking about keeping the forest but instead giving the tree its name. So happy and joyful. The forest has now risen to many small trees, and peaceful wild animals are abundant. My wish is that rare trees will be preserved for future generations" - Mr. Trong shared.
