“如果不是亲眼所见，我从未想过沙漠化地区距离人类能如此之近。也许我们今天种下的树木能起到的实际作用很小，但我们把我们看到的、体验到的分享给他人，我觉得这个可能是更大的意义”，这是一位志愿者在植树行之后的分享。
“If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would never thought that the desertified areas could be this close to the living areas. Perhaps the trees we planted today would make very little differnece , but sharing what we saw and experienced with family and friends might have a great impact”, shared by one of our volunteers after the tree planting trip.
志愿者在植树 王凯摄
The volunteers were planting trees, Photo by Kai Wang
今年是百万植树计划的第17个年头，即将在内蒙完成第三个百万棵树的目标。4月，来自14家企业、2所学校以及两位个人志愿者共88人共同参与了这次的内蒙古植树之行。今年植树地点土地中埋有大量树枝，挖起来异常艰难。但志愿者们不畏艰辛、不惧风沙，测距、挖坑、栽树、填土，完成1314棵杨树的种植。
This year marks the 17th anniversary of MTP, and a total of over three million trees will be acheived in the project area of Inner Mongolia. In April, 88 volunteers from 14 companies and 2 schools participated in the tree planting trip in Inner Mongolia. There were lots of old branches underneath the ground in the planting site of this year, making it extremely difficult to dig on. The volunteers were planting trees despite of all the hardships and strong sandy wind. By the steps of spacing, digging, planting, and soil filling, 1314 poplar trees were planted all together.
志愿者在挖树坑 陈婷摄
The volunteers were digging tree holes, Photo by Ting Chen
志愿者在栽植杨树 郭珈源摄
The volunteers were planting poplar trees, Photo by Jiayuan GUO
植树航拍 王凯摄
The aerial photo of tree planting, Photo by Kai Wang
志愿者们还参观了塔敏查干沙漠，银白色的沙漠、狂躁的风沙令人印象深刻。同时，上海根与芽工作人员的讲解也让志愿者对于荒漠化及周边区域的人地矛盾有了更直观的了解，大家也更加意识到荒漠化治理的必要性。从沙漠出来的路上，志愿者们还自发地捡起了垃圾，以己之力还自然一片清净。
The volunteers visited Taminchagan Desert on the third day of the trip. The silver white desert and crazy sandy wind certainly made it memorable. At the same time, our staff introduced the backgroud information about desertification and what it is caused by, making them understand more intuitively and realize the necessity of desertification control. On the way out of the desert, some people voluntarily picked up the garbage along the roads, leaving a cleanup space behind.
志愿者从沙漠中检出垃圾 陈婷摄
Volunteers were picking up the garbage out of the desert, Photo by Ting Chen
工作人员在讲解生态位工作坊 陈婷摄
The staff was introducing the workshop on Ecological Niche, Photo by Ting Chen
工作人员在讲解土壤学工作坊 郭珈源摄
The staff was introducing the workshop on Pedology, Photo by Jiayuan GUO
此外，志愿者来到了百万植树计划项目2012年栽植的杨树与樟子松混交林进行修枝。修枝工作能够让树木生长得更加挺拔、高大，从而起到更好的防风固沙作用。从第一天亲手栽植的瘦小树苗到第二天亲手修剪的高大杨树，脚底由松软的黄沙变为厚实的泥土，这些变化让志愿者们印象尤为深刻。
Moreover, the volunteers went to the forest site where a mix of poplars and pines were planted in 2012 to prune trees. Pruning could make the trees grow taller and more upright, thereby playing a better role in windbreak and sand fixation. The volunteers were particularly impressed by the significant contrast between the thin saplings planted by hand on the second day to the tall poplar trees pruned by hand next day, the totally different feelings stepping on the loose sands compared to on the rich soil.
志愿者在修剪树枝 陈婷、郭珈源摄
The volunteers were pruning trees, Photo by Ting Chen and Jiayuan GUO
在内蒙植树行的最后一个夜晚，志愿者分享了对此次植树活动的感想及思考。难挖的树坑、狂躁的风沙、优美的树行，志愿者们体会到了植树活动的独特意义，并表示愿意身体力行将这个地球变得更加美丽，将植树造林的精神分享给身边的家人及朋友。也许十几年之后，志愿者又会回到如今他们栽下一棵棵幼苗的沙地里来，见一见自己亲手种下的树木。
On the last night of the planting trip in Inner Mongolia, the volunteers shared their reflections and thoughts. Thinking of the tree holes they dug, the sand blown on the face and the beautiful tree rows, the volunteers started to understand the special meaning of tree planting. They expressed strong wishes to personally take part in the action of making our planet more beautiful and sharing the spirit of afforestation with family and friends. Perhaps after a decade, the volunteers would come back to the once-sandy-land where they planted the saplings, revisit their own poplar trees.
优美的树行 陈婷摄
The beautiful tree rows, Photo by Ting Chen