Persistence in Sand Control: Three Generations of Workers Construct the Great Green Wall to Protect Ecological Safety Barrier

Old, middle-aged and young people from Sanbei talk about their persistence in sand control and afforestation——

Construct the Great Green Wall to protect the ecological safety barrier

editor’s note

my country is one of the countries with the most severe desertification in the world, and the desertified land is mainly distributed in the Northeast, North and Northwest regions. On June 6, General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Bayannur, Inner Mongolia and presided over a symposium on strengthening the comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoting the construction of key ecological projects such as the “Three Norths”. The general secretary emphasized earnestly that strengthening the comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and further promoting the construction of key ecological projects such as the “Three Norths” are related to my country’s ecological security, the construction of a strong country, and the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. In the noble cause of Qianqiu.

For more than 40 years, in the face of the world-class problem of sand prevention and control, countless people in the Three Norths have determined to turn thousands of miles of wind and sand into a green Great Wall. spirit”, setting an international example of ecological governance. Let’s get close to a few old, middle-aged and young sand control personnel, and feel the ordinary and greatness of accumulating benefits for thousands of years through their small-scale achievements, and jointly respond to the call of the times of “strive to create a new miracle in China’s desert control in the new era” .

【Line-line narrative】

Three generations relay the green dream

Narrator: Jia Yulin, manager of Jinshuo Seedling Co., Ltd., a state-owned Xinhua Forest Farm in Linhe District, Bayannaoer City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

I’m a native forest farmer. When I was young, wind and sand raged day and night in my hometown, and everyone had a deep affection for trees. My father is a tree planter in the Xinsheng branch of the forest farm, and he often stays away in the middle of the night. When I asked my mother where my father had gone, my mother’s answer was always six words: “Planting trees in the desert.” Later, I heard from my father that in order to turn the desert into a forest, he and his workers always worked from dawn to dusk. black.

When my father first started planting trees, it was very hard. The tree planters had to bend down for a long time in the sand to dig holes, plant seedlings, and water them. The saplings were all carried into the ground manually. In the 1960s and 1970s, donkey carts began to be used to transport saplings to the fields, and the efficiency improved a lot. Everyone was so happy that they planted, lived, and greened.

The “desert controler” planted seedlings in the Yili Ecological Management Area of ​​Kubuqi Desert, Inner Mongolia.Xinhua News Agency

But there are also troubles: At that time, there were few varieties and quantities of saplings in the forest farm, and the effect of windbreak and sand fixation was not obvious. In 1976, my father and forest farm technicians went to Beijing to select seedlings, and brought back more than 80 kinds of drought-resistant saplings by train. Since then, the tree species in the forest farm have been enriched a lot, and the greening effect has been better.

When I was about 10 years old, my sister and I followed my father to plant trees in the salt flats. My father dug the hole, and my sister and I helped the seedlings one by one and filled the hole one by one. After each tree was finished, my father would check it carefully. Influenced by my father, I joined the afforestation team after graduation. I am 57 years old this year, and like my father, I regard planting trees as my life’s work.

What makes me gratified is that when my son grows up, he also takes the initiative to join the ranks of afforestation and green protection, protecting the hard-won green wealth with heart.

Now, my father is over 80 years old, and he still loves planting trees. Whenever he sees an open space, he mutters, “A few trees should be planted here quickly.”

Three generations of our family have witnessed the changes of the forest farm for more than 60 years. Now, the forest farm covers an area of ​​52,000 mu, and the area of ​​sandy land has shrunk from 21,500 mu in the 1960s to 5,000 mu. A total of 4.3 million trees have been planted, and the forest coverage rate has increased from 25.6% in 2012 to 65%. What the forestry people plant is not only a tree, but also a dream and a spirit. This spirit will be deeply engraved on the “Three North” Shelter Forest and passed on from generation to generation.

From “eating with sand” to “eating meat with honey”

Narrator: Song Jianjiang, manager of the Forestry Development Security Center in Aksu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Kekeya is located on the northwestern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, which means “green cliff” in Uighur. More than 30 years ago, this place was still a desert. In April and May every year, strong winds and yellow sand invade, and people’s lives are miserable.

In 1987, at the age of 23, I came to Kekeya from Jiamu Forest Farm in Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture, and became the first group of forest rangers.

In Qiemo County, Xinjiang, the staff walked the desert to conduct a topographical survey of the planting area planned for the next step.Xinhua News Agency

The soil here is so alkaline that it is as hard as a rock, and even a tractor cannot move it. We had to divert water to soak the soil for two or three days before the tractor could push the wet soil away.

At that time, the Aksu region mobilized all the people to plant trees, and agencies, units, schools, and troops joined the battle, setting off round after round of “tree planting battles”. Everyone put 20 centimeters of farmyard manure in the tree pit first, and then 20 centimeters of soil before planting trees. A special water diversion canal was also built, and the survival rate of the trees planted exceeded 80%. People saw hope and became more motivated.

The main duty of our rangers is to release water. This job sounds simple, but it is actually very hard work. Once the water is released, it takes 20 days, day and night. Every time the water release season comes, I wear a sheepskin jacket, bring naan and a water bottle, and live and eat on the construction site. When watering, many tree pits were filled with water but did not seep down, so we used a shovel to pry open a crack to let the water seep down. Taking care of these tree flowers is like taking care of dolls.

Today’s Kekeya is lush and green with lush trees. Generations of sand control workers, tree planters, and forest rangers have worked hard one after another, turning the Gobi wasteland into a green orchard. Now, the forest belt here is 16 kilometers long. Next to the forest belt, orchards are next to each other. Walnuts, fragrant pears, red dates, and rock sugar apples are fragrant all over the country. The common people say that it used to be “eating with sand”, but now it is “eating meat with honey”, and the days are getting better every day. Move away from “Shawowo” and jump out of “Poor Wowo”

Narrator: Ma Junhe, Executive Director of Gansu Qingsuo Public Welfare Development Center

Minqin County, Gansu Province is located in the northeast of the Hexi Corridor. From the map, the Minqin Oasis looks like a wedge, dividing the Tengger Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert into two. At the turn of the century, some experts asserted that Minqin Oasis would be swallowed up by wind and sand in the near future.

Farmers in Xuebai Town, Minqin County, Gansu Province use a walk-behind sand barrier machine to press grass squares.Xinhua News Agency

We cannot just watch the ecology of our hometown deteriorate. In 2007, when I was working outside, I initiated the “Save Minqin” Volunteer Oasis Action through the Internet, inviting volunteers from all over the country to Minqin to press sand and plant trees and plant Haloxylon. In the past 16 years, more than 20,000 volunteers have come to Minqin to control more than 60,000 mu of desertified land. In 2009, I returned to my hometown to work full-time on ecological management. I also created the “Suosuo Farm” e-commerce brand to sell Minqin specialty products online to help farmers and herdsmen in my hometown increase their income.

In March 2022, I had the honor to participate in the construction of the “Three Norths” project. The construction site is in the northwest of Fugong Village, Xiqu Town, which is one of the sandstorms in the north of Minqin. The complex geological structure has brought great difficulties to dig tree pits. We pitched tents and set up pots and stoves in low-lying sheltered places, and we worked for more than 20 days. In order to ensure the survival rate of seedlings, we have selected high-quality Haloxylon seedlings and Shaguai jujube seedlings. After scientific planting, 2,100 mu of Haloxylon and Shaguai jujube achieved a survival rate of about 98%.

With the efforts of many parties, Minqin has now established a triple protection mechanism of “closed and protected outside the oasis, sand control and afforestation in the sandy area, and comprehensive management inside the oasis”. ecological barrier. At the same time, the production and living conditions of the masses have been greatly improved. They said that this forest not only removed the “shawowo”, but also helped everyone get out of the “poor nest”.

Continuous optimization of Huangsha afforestation technology

Narrator: Xie Guoxun, Director of Forestry Technology Extension Service Center of Yanchi County, Wuzhong City, Ningxia

Yanchi County is located at the southern edge of the Mu Us Desert. It is dry, less rainy, windy and sandy all year round, and its ecological environment is very fragile. In order to change the appearance of my hometown, I majored in forestry at university. I have been planting trees for more than 30 years since I graduated.

Since I started working, I have participated in the construction of the “Three North” shelterbelts in Yanchi County. At present, the overall project of the “Three North” shelterbelts in our county has been completed, all of which have passed the evaluation and acceptance of experts at the district and national levels.

In the Baijitan National Nature Reserve in Lingwu City, Ningxia, which is located on the edge of the Mu Us Desert, workers are mending grass squares.Xinhua News Agency

In the contest with the yellow sand, we have been exploring the treatment technology suitable for the Yanchi sandy area. For example, in cooperation with the School of Forestry of Northwest A&F University to study long-rooted seedlings for shrub afforestation, the average root system length of normal Amorpha fruticosa is 10 to 15 cm. After the seedlings are raised, the root system can reach 20 cm, and the hairy roots have also increased. The ability to absorb water The area is larger, the depth is deeper, and the water retention capacity is stronger, which effectively improves the survival rate of saplings.

In addition to improving tree species, we also optimize the planting method of tree species. Initially, we sow Caragana in June every year, because it is in the high temperature period, and the seedlings are easy to burn and die. After summing up experience again and again, we changed the sowing time to after July 20, which greatly improved the survival rate of Caragana.

Relying on national key projects such as the “Three North” shelterbelts, natural forest protection, a new round of returning farmland to forests, and restoration of degraded grasslands, Yanchi County is now basically free from strong wind and sand, and the former barren land has become an oasis on the frontier.

300,000 kilometers of “green road” in the past 32 years

Narrator: Duan Jinlong, a forest ranger at Dongfeng Forest Farm, Fuping County, Baoding City, Hebei Province

I am over 70 years old this year and became a ranger here in 1990. When I first started working, I had to spend more than 4 hours a day to walk back and forth between the mountains and forests and my home, and there was no place to hide in bad weather. In 2000, the village built a stone house on the top of the mountain for me to rest and look at the forest. In order to patrol the more than 3,000 mu of mountain forest, I simply brought food and bedding and lived in a stone house for 20 years.

Scenery of Saihanba Machinery Forest Farm in Hebei Province.Xinhua News Agency

There is no signal on the mountain. I am accompanied by the mountain and the forest every day, and the chirping birds sing for me. My colleague calculated an account for me: I patrolled more than 30 kilometers a day, and walked a total of more than 300,000 kilometers in 32 years. My family also calculated an account for me: one pair of military rubber shoes was worn out in a month, and nearly 400 pairs were worn out in 32 years. I listened with a smile, forest protection and fire prevention is a big deal, and a small personal ledger is nothing compared to the big ledger of the country.

From October to May of the next year is the period of high incidence of forest fires, and it is also the time when tourists go up the mountain. At this time, my heart will rise to my throat, and I will keep reminding everyone to pay attention to fire prevention. “Go into the mountains without fire, and into the forest without smoking” is a saying I often say. Only by doing our best can we get the peace of every plant and tree.

If I can’t see the forest for a day, I will feel weak. I have only one wish: to make every tree in the forest live well.

Qingshan Wuyang uses technology to prevent disasters

Narrator: Sun Fangbo, deputy director of the safety and fire emergency management department of Jilin Forest Industry Wangou Forestry Co., Ltd.

I grew up in the mountains since I was a child. This mountain forest embodies the efforts of three generations of our grandparents and grandchildren.

In the 1950s, in order to transport timber from Linhaixueyuan to support the construction of the motherland, my grandfather, as the first batch of workers in the line section of the Sanchazi Forestry Bureau, built a small forest train line in the snow-covered forest area in the cold winter of March 9. At that time, grandpa and the workers had to carry the logs one by one with their shoulders. After a long time, fist-sized bumps appeared on the shoulders. The elders called it “blood mushroom”, and grandpa often said that it was a unique “medal” for forestry workers.

In 1981, my father took over from my grandfather. As a worker captain, he led the young workers to collect firewood, and his hard-working spirit deeply affected me.

In 2013, after my father retired, I gave up my stable job, took over the “baton” from him, and became a member of the forest fire brigade. In 2014, I became a forest fire control dispatcher again, with even heavier responsibilities on my shoulders.

This 89,403-hectare forest area is bigger than the sky in my heart. In order to improve the efficiency of forest fire prevention, we continue to strengthen fire prevention construction with the help of science and technology. At the end of 2019, the intelligent “Forest Eye” was put into use, and the safety guarantee of forest fire prevention was also upgraded.

The annual fire prevention period in the forest area is as long as half a year, and the fire prevention work is particularly tense in spring and autumn. With the joint efforts of my colleagues and me, no major fires occurred in the jurisdiction.

During the forest fire prevention period in May this year, we and Wangou Town Primary School jointly organized the “Small Hands in Big Hands” forest fire prevention into the campus activity to publicize forest fire prevention knowledge. Looking at the eyes of the children who love the forest, I feel that the spirit of the older generation is continuing.

In the future, I will sink my heart, continue to explore ways and means of forest fire prevention, and continue to dedicate my youth to this green.

project team:

Guangming Daily reporters Zhang Sheng, Gao Ping, Li Hui, Shang Jie, Wang Bingya, Song Xiqun, Wang Jianhong, Zhang Wenpan, Chen Yuanqiu, Geng Jiankuo, Ren Shuang, Wang Simin

Guangming Daily correspondents Liu Huan, Feng Yao, Lu Meng

“Guangming Daily” (version 07, June 12, 2023)

[Responsible editor: Zhao Chao]