China News Service, Liaoning, October 25th, title: Life is endless, planting more trees: a green declaration from a Chinese old man
Author Ma Zhiyuan
"Life is endless, and sand control is endless!" The 87-year-old's words were moving. Her name was Gerile.
On October 25, it was the Chinese traditional festival Double Ninth Festival, but the elderly could not fully rest.
While liaising in various ways to promote economic tree species that benefit the family and villagers, she told reporters her story.
The picture shows the old man Gerile and his wife Wendusu (departed) taking a group photo in the sandy land to be managed.
Gerile told reporters that the small house behind them was less than 10 square meters. Before this small house was built, there was no place to eat in the sand.
Ma Zhi Telephoto
In 1998, Gerile was 66 years old.
In China, an old man at this age was supposed to retire and spend his days leisurely. However, she and her 73-year-old wife made a decision that all their family members opposed - to plant trees in the sand.
"When I retired and returned to my hometown, I saw that people were going to come out of the sand. If they didn't change, the life of the masses would be bad. I was very anxious." Gerile said.
The picture shows today's Baiyin Mangha, green has filled the eyes.
Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where it is located, through the government-led "tens of millions of mu" Horqin sandy land comprehensive management project and the "tens of millions of mu" natural grassland restoration project, the average annual comprehensive control of sandy land reached 3 million mu in the past three years.
Ma Zhi Telephoto
The place where she plans to plant trees is called "Baiyin Mangha" in Mongolian, and Chinese means "rich sand".
It is located in Horqin Zuoyihou Banner, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in the hinterland of Horqin Sandy Land, the second largest sandy land in China.
Relatives and friends feel that Gerile, who has worked in the bank all his life, does not understand the sand, and planting trees is throwing money into the sand.
The picture shows the elderly Gerile interacting with villagers who have devoted themselves to sand control and afforestation.
Today, 21 local villagers have followed the elderly’s footprints to plant trees to control sand and green their hometowns.
Ma Zhi Telephoto
The villagers who are accustomed to the wind and sand shook their heads when they heard about it: "Is it okay to plant trees in their sixties and seventies?" "Can trees be planted in this sandy land?" In Gerile said that planting trees is at their own expense Later, the village committee set aside a piece of sand for her to try.
Planting trees in the sand is very difficult.
Without saplings, they use their pensions to buy them; droughts and water shortages, they use burdens; without shelter, they build shack in sand nests... In the first year, most saplings did not survive.
Gerile was not discouraged, and the children also used the rest time to help her. They spent 20 years of sweat in exchange for greenery.
The picture shows the old man Gerile showing the fruit trees planted that year to reporters.
Faced with doubts from her family and villagers, she used practice to prove that fruit trees and vegetables can also be grown in the sand.
Ma Zhi Telephoto
"Our retirement wages are not saved at all, they are all thrown here. I am very happy when the sand is green. I love this tree, and this tree is the same as my children." Gerile said with a smile.
In the past 20 years, Gerile and his wife invested more than 300,000 yuan in greening 260 acres of sandy land, which was handed over to the local village committee free of charge.
She proved through practice that fruit trees and vegetables can also be grown in the sand.
Today, local villagers have joined the ranks of greening their hometowns.
The story of the old man Gerile is not alone. In the four major sandy areas in China, persistent sand control people continue to emerge, and the government-led sand control project has achieved remarkable results.
The picture shows the hut built by the Gerile couple.
The picture was taken in the autumn of 2020. At this time, the front and back of the house are already lined with trees, and the scene of yellow sand more than 20 years ago is gone forever.
Ma Zhi Telephoto
Official information shows that only in Tongliao City where Gerile is located, 20.66 million mu of sandy land has been effectively managed through the construction of the "Three North" shelterbelt project; 35 million mu of farmland and pasture have been protected; more than 3,000 villages have been fully protected. Greening.
People were curious about her persistence, and Gerile just repeated the vow he made 20 years ago: "Life will not stop, and sand control will not stop." (End)