China News Service, Urumqi, December 1st (Qi Yaping, Qi Linjie, Zhu Xiuqin) After retiring, Ma Xianmin did not enjoy his old age in peace, but chose to be closely connected with sand control and environmental protection, sticking to the Gurbantunggut Desert without hydropower Border tree planting.

In the past 19 years, he and his family have planted more than 300,000 trees, covering an area of ​​more than 2,100 mu.

  Ma Xianmin is a retired employee of Hongqi Farm, the Sixth Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Although he is over 70 years old now, he is in good health and full of energy.

  Recently, early in the morning, Ma Xianmin hurriedly finished his breakfast, put on a cotton coat, took a shovel, and came to the vicinity of Sanlian, Hongqi Farm, on the edge of the desert as usual.

There is a forest belt about 4 meters wide that tenaciously extends to the desert every year.

In the past 19 years, Ma Xianmin and his family have planted more than 300,000 trees, covering an area of ​​more than 2,100 mu.

Photo by Zhu Xiuqin

  The forest belt was planted by Ma Xianmin for 19 years. No matter how the seasons change, the Haloxylon trees in the forest belt always "stick" to the edge of the desert, preventing the spread of wind and sand.

  "As long as you don't look at it for two or three days, it seems that something is missing in your heart. These feelings in your heart can't be expressed in words." Ma Xianmin said, no matter how hard or difficult tree planting is, you have to keep going. Just keep going and find The right path can always make a good forest.

  Over the years, the old man Ma Xianmin has explained with his own practical actions that we should protect the ecological environment like protecting our eyes, treat the ecological environment like we treat our lives, and made extraordinary contributions to the construction of the "Beautiful Corps".

  In June 2020, Ma Xianmin was awarded the title of "Beautiful China, I am an Action" by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Central Civilization Office; in November 2020, he was awarded the "2018-2019 Green China Person of the Year".

  "Watching the saplings grow up slowly is like watching the children and grandchildren grow up." Looking at the forest belt in front of him, Ma Xianmin said.

  In order to pass on the "baton" of afforestation and windbreak and sand fixation, Ma Xianmin invites his family members to plant trees and afforestation on the edge of the desert every year.

  Ma Xianmin introduced that since 2008, he has been planting Cistanche deserticola in the Haloxylon forest, combining desert control with increasing income from the sand industry, and exploring a virtuous cycle model for industrialized sand control.

  "As a forest ranger, I feel very proud and proud of this job. I will continue to plant trees to prevent wind and sand, and contribute to the protection of the ecological environment." Ma Xianmin said.

(Finish)