百万植树计划在2015年将项目地扩展到了宁夏。项目组将其原有的植树策略进行了调整，主要采用灌木种植搭配草方格的方式，以更好地适应宁夏的沙质土壤环境。宁夏的生态恢复工程可以防止毛乌素沙地的扩张，改善当地生态系统，同时减少荒漠化对黄河走廊经济发展的影响。
MTP expanded its program to Ningxia in the spring of 2015. Encountering a new landscape, MTP adapted its original tree-planting project to better suit the specific needs in Ningxia, focusing on the more sandy soil that requires specific shrub and straw grid establishment. MTP’s effort would contribute to stopping the Maowusu Sandy Land from expanding, improve the local ecosystem and lessen the economic impact of desertification to the Yellow River corridor region .
为了更好地在宁夏植树造林和抵抗沙漠化，百万植树计划结合当地林业团队、国际和当地合作对象的经验和建议，在当地的项目主要分为三步：选择灌木种类、栽种灌木&扎制草方格、养护与监测。
In our mission to reforest and combat desertification in Ningxia, the Million Tree Project implements a 3-step process, combining forestry and on-site knowledge from our own team with the technical expertise of international and local partners.
1. 选择灌木种类 Selecting Shrub Species
百万植树计划和白芨滩护林场合作，选择扎草方格和种植灌木相结合的方式。
Working with the Lingwu Baijitan Tree Farm, MTP constructs massive straw grids and plants four species of locally adapted shrubs.
柠条
Korshinsk Pea Shrub
Caragana Korshinskii Kom
柠条是优良固沙和绿化荒山植物，根具根瘤，有肥土作用，嫩枝、叶含有氮素，是沤制绿肥的好原料。
The Korshinsk Pea Shrub efficiently fixes sand and makes barren hills green, since its roots grow with nitrogen-fixing nodules that improve soil quality. Its twigs and leaves also contain nitrogen, making them a good raw material for retting green manure.
花棒
Sweetvetch
Hedysarum scoparium
花棒有根瘤，能固定空气中氮以供给自身需要，因而在瘠薄的沙地上能旺盛生长，有良好的改土效果。
Sweetvetch has nitrogen-fixing nodules that allows it to grow vigorously in barren sand and improve soil quality.
黑沙蒿
Artemisia ordosica
黑沙蒿由于茎多数丛生，固沙效果良好，能防止土壤被侵蚀。
Artemisia Ordosica is excellent at fixing sand because of the logarithmic clustering of its stems, which help to prevent soil erosion.
沙拐枣
Calligonum arborescens Litv.
沙拐枣的叶片很小，光合作用主要由枝条进行，根系发达利于固沙
The leaves of Calligonum arborescens Litv. are quite small, so photosynthesis is almost entirely carried out by its branches. The roots are also quite developed, making it a pioneer species for sand fixation.
2. 栽种灌木&扎草方格 Planting the Shrubs & Constructing Straw Grids
在宁夏项目地，植树行的志愿者会学习如何栽种灌木、扎制草方格。灌木为土壤发育和植物群落多样性的恢复提供了重要保障；同时草方格可以减少土壤水分的蒸发、提高含水量，从而提高种植灌木的存活率。除此之外，百万植树计划动员当地农民参与扎制草方格、收集种子等种植活动，以获得额外的收入。
At the Ningxia site, planting trip volunteers learn how to plant a mix of shrubs and also how to construct massive straw grids. Shrubs help to provide a solid foundation for soil development and restoration of vegetation diversity, while these straw grids both decelerate evaporation and improve soil moisture to buffer the survival rate of the shrubs that are planted. In addition to recruiting volunteers, MTP also contracts local farmers to carry out grid establishment, seed collection, and other planting activities, which helps generate extra income for local communities.
关于志愿者和植树行的更多信息，请点击此处了解。
Find out more about how to become a volunteer and join one of these planting trips here.
3 . 养护与监测 Maintaining and Monitoring the Site
百万植树计划会对树木进行长期的养护与监测：志愿者帮助修建树枝，以促进树木的生长； 当地的农民和学生也会参与到监测和养护树木的环节里。与此同时，农民可以将从庄稼里收获的秸秆买给当地林场来获取额外的收入。林地调查是监测过程的重要环节，主要是由工作人员实地调查以及无人机技术完成的。通过每年收集数据，百万植树计划能够更好地评估项目的进展情况，例如成活率、降雨量、覆盖率、沙漠化程度、生物多样性、植被结构以及植物群的高度、直径、树冠大小，这些数据可以帮助项目组分析林地的长期长势。
MTP carried out long-term monitoring of forest plots: volunteers can also help to prune and trim the trees, which is critical to promote strong and healthy growth; local communities and students also help to monitor and maintain the trees growing on their land. Meanwhile, farmers can sell straws collected from their own crops to forest farm to get extra incomes. Forest surveys are a major component of monitoring the reforestation efforts. These are conducted by drone technology as well as by in-field investigations led by our forestry experts. Compiling reams of data year after year allows MTP to evaluate metrics of progress like survival rate, rainfall, coverage, degree of desertification, biodiversity, vegetation structure, height and diameter, and crown size of flora. From these data measurements, MTP can analyze long-term trends in forest health and growth.
