2023年8-9月，来自13家公司的111位企业志愿者来到宁夏灵武市，亲身走进白芨滩国家级自然保护区，了解土地荒漠化，学习并实践扎制草方格。
From August 26 to September 7, 111 volunteers from 13 companies traveled to Lingwu, Ningxia. They visited Baijitan National Nature Reserve, where they learnt a lot about desertification and practiced the unique way of sand control, constructing straw grids on the sandy land.
保护区位于中国四大沙地之一的毛乌素沙地西南边缘，这里不仅有保留下来的原始沙地，更有多年治理后延绵不绝的灌木林，绿色覆盖了大片原本的裸露沙化土地。志愿者们看到两者之间的鲜明对照纷纷感叹保护区多年治沙带来的巨大改变。
The nature reserve is located on the western south side of Mao Wu Su Sandy land. You can see the conserved original sandy land here, to compare the acres of land covered with grass and shrubs. The contrast shows such a significant change after years of reforestation work.
第一批志愿者们活动前正巧下过雨，正逢撒播草籽的好时机。志愿者们亲手撒播种下一把把柠条草籽。这些小小的草籽在一周后就破土而出，展现了沙漠植物顽强的生命力。
It rained a day before the first group of volunteers came, making it a good time to spread the seeds among the grids. The volunteers broadcasted the seeds of Caragana in the field. These seeds speared out of the earth and sprouted a week later.
扎制草方格更是一件不容易的事情，志愿者们在当地林场工作人员的指导下，两人一组合作，一人把秸秆沿一条直线均匀地铺在地上，一人随之用铁锹在秸秆中间敲下，秸秆便立起形成沙障。期间大家发现这样看似简单的重复工作却又很多地方需要注意，铺设秸秆厚薄得合适，沿线尽量笔直、间距一致，下锹也要花力气……在烈日下，每位志愿者都流了不少汗、更体会到治沙工作的艰难。连片的草方格能效降低地表风速，保护草籽并帮助灌木生长，最终提高植被覆盖度和生物多样性。
Making straw grids is not an easy job. Following the instructions of the local workers, every two volunteers worked as a team. One was paving abandoned straws evenly on the sandy land along a line, and the other stepped on a shovel from the middle of straws, so that two ends of the straw would stand up to form natural barriers. Repeating the steps again and again, the volunteers found many details to pay attention to, the evenness of paved straws, the straightness of the line, the proper spacing between the two straw lines, the push on stepping on the shovel etc. The weather was very hot during daytime under the sun, every volunteer sweated a lot while making these straw grids. It’s such an incredible work the locals have being doing constructing acres of straw grids. The straw grids can effectively slow down wind speed above the ground, protect the seeds from being blown away and also help the seedings to grow. Gradually, the vegetation coverage and biodiversity will increase significantly on the land covered with straw grids.
活动期间，志愿者们参观了保护区防沙治沙展览馆；学会辨识各种沙漠植物；在午间工作坊学习生态学知识；分享自己的所见所悟给家人朋友；也在整个旅程中从小事做起使用自己的水壶和餐具、沿途捡起垃圾……这次旅程带来的所学所悟将伴随参与者们今后的生活。
The volunteers visited the sand control exihibition museum. Some of them went to the forest sites planted last year and were taught how to identify the plants on the sandy land. They also learn about ecological niche and share what they learnt with families and friends. During the whole trip, the volunteers kept using one’s own chopsticks and water bottle, pick up the trash along the way to lead a eco lifestyle. Everyone makes a different!
