Thousands of people from the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak will form a choir to call on people to “say no to illegal forest products” in a public event entitled “Speak up to save the forest” scheduled for April 17.

The event is being supported by the Global Environment Fund and the World Bank through Birdlife International in Indochina. Other sponsors include the British Council and Wildlife At Risk.

It is aimed at raising the public’s awareness on the importance of protecting forests and preventing the illegal trade of wildlife, which both contribute to minimising the impacts of climate change.

A short film about the environment and a ceremony to recognise the choir as the country’s biggest in Vietnam’s Record Book will take place as part of the function.

Forests are rapidly disappearing or being degraded by mankind’s actions such as illegal logging, hunting and trading wildlife.

Therefore, people need to act before it’s too late and everybody can help to protect forests, even in their daily lives, a representative from the event organizing board said.

Forests account for 50 percent of Dak Lak’s total land area, which covers the two national parks of Yook Don and Chu Yang Shin, home to numerous rare plants and animals./.