2023年MTP项目重启了夏季生态调查的社会志愿者招募，7月23至28日，有5名来自天南海北的志愿者参与内蒙活动，有在读的学生，也有工作多年的教师和白领。在暴雨和道路封锁等各种意外困难中，志愿者们历时6天，共调查6块林地，观察记录到47种，共19794株植物。在往年常规的生态调查之外，志愿者们还去往2007-2008年间种植的项目最早一片林地，体验测量树木的生长数据。
In 2023, MTP restarted to recruit volunteers join us for the summer forest survey on assessing ecological recovery. From July 23 to July 28, there were five volunteers from places across China traveling to the project site to participate in the week-long survey. Some of them are college students, and the others are teacher and office workers. Although something unexpected happened, such as rainstorm and road closure, the volunteers completed the survey investigating 19794 plants of 47 species on 6 forest sites during the 6-day trip. They also went to the 2007-2008 forest site, the earliest MTP forest site, measuring trees’ growth index.
特别感谢此次的志愿者的辛苦劳动，也欢迎更多的人加入到我们的行列中来。下面让我们看看志愿者写下的一些回顾与感想：
Special thanks to these volunteers! We hope that one day you will be one of them to join us visiting these forest sites. They wrote down their thoughts on these experiences, and we share them with you as follows.
去内蒙的路上，我假设过很多场景，不着一物的沙地，偶尔探出几根草，风吹过，沙子直往眼睛鼻子钻，也知道种了很多树，一直想着光秃秃的枝干配黄黄的沙。却没有想过能看见这样的杨树林。
On the road to Inner Mongolia, I have imagined a lot, some barren sandy land, a few grasses scattering on the ground, sands blown into the eyes. I know there are trees, but all I could think of was some branches with sandy background. I never imagined to see a forest like this.
看到种之前的样子，原来那些假设也是真的，只是早了好多年，只是没有被我看见。像07年林地这样形成土壤层要十几年，但回黄沙漫天的样子只需要数月。希望有一日内蒙的地表都覆起厚厚的土壤，阳光下泛起光泽，秋日落叶盖满地表，着起冬日新装。
The picture of the forest site before any tree planted is what I imagined. It was years ago. The soil on the ground of 2007-2008 forest site will need many years to form but turning it back to sandy land will only take few months. I hope one day all the land in Inner Mongolia will be covered with the nutrient soil like these, reflecting the sunshine, covered with layers of leaves in the autumn and trees dressed with snow in the winter.
志愿者的这段时间学习到很多东西，测样方辨植物，什么中华小苦荬，马唐，少花蒺藜草，尖头叶藜，各种虫实，狗尾草，虎尾草......
I learnt a lot during the week, how to measure in each sample site, and how to distinguish plants from each other, i.e. Ixeris chinensis (Thunb.) Nakai, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Cenchrus spinifex Cav., Chenopodium acuminatum Willd., different kinds of Corispermum, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.Chloris virgata Sw…..
当然，重中之重的饭不能忘记介绍，确实好吃😍一个不爱吃饼的都说这饼好吃，那就真好吃hhhh
Of course, the local cuisine is unforgettably delicious. I’m not a fan of pancakes, but the pancake there won my heart.
--- 志愿者 陈羽茜
by Yuxi Chen
From a personal standpoint, I believe that participating in this project's volunteer activities has given me a really special and meaningful experience. There are also two factors in my perspective. First off, as this volunteer project lasts 6 days and involves field work, volunteers can more easily imagine and experience the challenges of planting trees in Tongliao, the city which is remote to a certain degree. The main part of this volunteer activity is to make a one meter by one meter square in the planting area and count all the grasses in it with quantities and species. Although this exercise was monotonous, it did have several advantages for me, such as increasing my knowledge of plant species like Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop, Corispermum puberulum Iljin and Cenchrus spinifex Cav.
从个人角度来说，我相信参与项目志愿者活动给我带来一段十分特殊有意义的经历。一方面，活动持续6天全是野外工作，亲身实践让志愿者可以想象到在这里种树是多么艰辛。活动中最主要的工作是在一个一米乘一米的样方中数清楚植物多少种和多少棵。虽然这是一个单调的工作，但让我增长了植物分类的知识，认识了马唐、软毛虫实、蒺藜等。
My second point is the impact of woodland improvements on local fauna. Tongliao has a huge number of wild animals, there are five kinds of national first-level protected animals: Red-Crowned Crane, White stork, Bustard, Sika Deer, and Sable; as well as nearly 30 kinds of national second-level protected animals such as Grey Crane, Swan, etc. Since under the effect of greenhouse gas, global warming and overgrazing, this region has suffered serious soil erosion and soil desertification. As a result, the Million Tree Project decided to improve the quality of the soil by increasing the vegetation cover through reforestation locally. One of the most significant changes is the increasing number of wildlife living here in these woodlands. For example, when I was volunteering here I noticed that there were a lot of birds roosting in the wetlands like wild black swans.
另一方面我感受到林地为当地生态带来的改善。当地有丰富的野生动物，一级保护动物有5种：丹顶鹤、白鹳、鸨、梅花鹿、貂，还有近30种国家级保护动物。而温室气体、气候变化、过度放牧等原因造成水土流失、土地荒漠化。百万植树计划就是通过植树造林增加植被覆盖度改善土壤。种植树木后有一个显著的变化就是林地里野生动物更多了。这次活动期间我就见到很多鸟在湿地中休憩，甚至有野生黑天鹅。
To conclude, I'm very thankful that I could have the opportunity to take part in this volunteer work since it has improved my knowledge of forestry, given me a wealth of new information, and given me a terrific and unforgettable workout.
这次志愿者活动让我有机会增长了关于林业的知识，开拓了视野，也是一次很棒又难忘的户外体验。
--- 志愿者 雷予
by Meredith