2024 Ningxia Eco Trip

From August 23 to September 3, a total of 119 volunteers from 12 companies and 1 school came to Lingwu City, Ningxia, to visit the Baijitan National Nature Reserve and learn about its story of fighting desertification.

During the trip, the weather in Ningxia was particularly unpredictable, so volunteers had gained a deeper understanding of the difficulty in desertification control. The work of making straw grids started with the scorching sun overhead. One person paved the straw, and the other used the shovel to firmly place the straw on the sand. The thickness of straw and the spacing of the grids shall be carefully adjusted, with straight rows and intervals of 1 meter. Proper use of the shovel should also be paid attention to. As soon as it rains, sowing seeds must be carried out right away. Straw grids can reduce wind speed on the ground surface, conserve water, and keep grass seeds inside, thereby promoting the growth of shrubs and herbaceous plants.

The volunteers went to the MTP 2022 Forest, where they felt the effectiveness of all the desertification control methods firsthand. The forest was lush with various herbaceous plants after two years. The straw grids were still visible on the ground. The Caragana Korshinskii Kom planted two years ago had grown tall. Volunteers also participated in the nature detective games. By studying from the cards of plants, they learnt more about biodiversity and ecological benefits of the forests.

The Sand Control Museum at Baijitan Nature Reserve offered the volunteers a broad view of the long histroy and acheivments on fighting desertification through decades. The workshops on Ecological Niche and Desertification Collage motivated the volunteers to learn new things and brainstorm with a team.

At the end of the event, many people were still marveled at the image they saw on the hilltop at Baijitai, on one side a completely original desert, on the other side an endless green field covered with rows of shrubs and straw grids. The achievements were all made by generations of Baijitan Nature Reserve workers. Without their hard work, there would be no Baijitan today. Shanghai Roots & Shoots and volunteers from different companies and schools, also expressed the desire to make efforts along with them to continue the spirit of fighting desertification in Baijitan.