After earning her university degree, Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh, an ethnic Tho woman, returned to her hometown to rejuvenate barren forests and create sustainable livelihoods for her community.

Forest protection teams play a vital role in keeping the forests lush and green across Son La’s hills and mountains. They walk tens of kilometers daily on duty, sometimes not eating until midnight.

Stakeholders believed that without better policies to increase forest rangers’ incomes, the exodus would continue.