State institutions and partner organisations working on bird conservation in Cambodia will hold a large-scale mixed sapling planting event in June along a newly widened road in Kampot province’s Kampong Trach district, in the Anlung Pring Crane Conservation Area.
The road connects to the Prek Chak international checkpoint on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.
Deputy district governor Khim Samy said that June marks the beginning of the rainy season, and the saplings will be planted along the road for around 10km. He said that in addition to the saplings that can grow fast and easily, the authorities will plant tens of thousands of palm seeds as well.
“We wish to promote the beauty of the green environment and the participation of our community so that they understand the potential to attract visitors from near and far to our localities, which connect the border area where casinos are concentrated to Phnom Toek that connects to the crane conservation site," he said.
Samy noted that a stretch of the widened road at the crane conservation area has been complete, but some other sections connecting from there to the border are unfinished and the military engineering force is speeding up the work.
Bou Vorsak, director of NatureLife Cambodia, said that during the annual Crane Day celebration in Anlung Pring protected landscape area on February 28, there were many participants including students, environment department officials and relevant authorities.
“Because the road is widened, the green cover trees have been cut down, posing a threat to the cranes. The site is so open without the green cover, so we need to plant trees that grow fast. The Anlung Pring Conservation Area, located in Boeung Sala Khang Tboung and Prek Kreus communes, is a unique location in support of the conservation of endangered cranes,” he said.
According to Vorsak, there are currently 103 cranes present at Anlung Pring. This number is large compared to the total number of an estimated 156 in Cambodia.
