From August to September 2025, 85 volunteers from 9 companies and 1 school gathered at the Baijitan National Nature Reserve in Lingwu City, Ningxia. Together, they constructed 1,362 straw grids and sowed shrub seeds across 450 square meters of sandy land, connecting with the land through their actions.
The event began with the challenging task of constructing straw grids. Working in teams, volunteers laid straws in straight lines while others used shovels to press them firmly into the sand, forming 1m×1m grids. Despite the scorching sun, the volunteers continued to construct more and more grids. These barriers will effectively reduce wind speed on the ground surface and play a vital role in desertification control.
The rain came during the event. It was a great chance to sow the Caragana Korshinskii seeds. Known for its drought resistance, nitrogen fixation, and robust root systems, Caragana Korshinskii has become the pioneer species in windbreaking and sand fixation. Volunteers carefully bent down, loosened the soil, and sowed the seeds, hoping for future growth.
Later, the volunteers went to the MTP 2022 Forest for the nature detective games. After three years, the Caragana Korshinskii had formed shrub clusters, demonstrating preliminary sand-stabilizing functions. Perennial plants now dominate in the forest sites, replacing annual plants. Through identifying the plants in the forest, volunteers witnessed the ecological value of desertification control efforts firsthand.
A visit to the Desertification Control Museum deepened the volunteers’ understanding of Baijitan’s decades-long efforts. Workshops like the "Ecological Niche" and "Desertification Collage" engaged them to learn more about the desertification and conservation.
The trip concluded at a bare sandy land in the reserve, which was left for scientific study purposes. The stark contrast—shifting dunes on one side and thriving greenery stabilized by straw grids and shrubs on the other—moved everyone. It was the decades-long perseverance of countless desertification fighters that had earned this precious greenery.
