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American teacher revisits land where forest grown from $5,000 donation in 1999_我的网站

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    Yin Yunzhen introduces to Sakolsky the harvest from the once-barren wasteland. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT
On Monday afternoon, American teacher Ronald Sakolsky visited the homeland of Chinese desert fighter Yin Yuzhen in Uxin Banner of Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This was a place the American man had visited in 2000 and it has completely changed since then.
In 1999, Sakolsky, a teacher in a China-US education exchange program, was touched by a report on Yin and her husband's afforestation efforts in the harsh wilderness of Mu Us Desert, and raised $5,000 to support her green cause. During that visit, they took pictures - in front of the sunken pit where the Yin couple once resided and in the barren land with a finger-thin sapling they had just planted against a backdrop of dust and bare earth.
What has the $5,000 changed? 
On Monday, they came to the Sakolsky forest - a permanent tribute honoring Sakolsky's early contribution to the region's ecological revival - and replicated the vintage pictures, standing in front of a pit that has long been abandoned and beside a newly planted sapling. This time, however, there are bushes and trees in the background. 
This contrast not only witnessed their friendship across time and the Pacific Ocean, but also showcased a promise Yin has kept for 27 years and a green dream that has been made possible through generations of joint unwavering efforts from Yin, her husband and countless other sand fighters. 
Homecoming with family cooking 

Yin hosted Sakolsky on Monday at her home,  filling the air with the aroma of home-cooked meals during their long-awaited reunion. Watermelons were served along with other fresh fruits and vegetables, all harvested locally. Yin told the Global Times earlier that she learned the English word "more" to persuade him to eat more.  
In 1999, Yin had few options for showing her hospitality, so she cooked a bowl of plain noodles for Sakolsky. Now, the harsh wasteland has transformed into a vibrant green oasis, thanks to unwavering afforestation efforts.
In the courtyard, the Global Times reporter saw Yin grinning from ear to ear with pride as she introduced the produce from the farmland - green pepper longer than a palm, a bottle gourd even bigger than Yin's head, and bags of foxtail millet packaged with the assistance of Yin's grandchildren, who are proud of the family's generations of commitment to green causes.    
During a tour of Yin's home, Sakolsky was impressed by the beautiful house with its green courtyard, saying "You deserve every centimeter of this house." Throughout the visit, he repeatedly praised Yin's hands, which the desert fighter and model worker used to change both the land and her own life through arduous work. 
The $5,000 Sakolsky donated in 1999 was equivalent to three years' income for Yin's entire family at the time. Today, that money has grown into more than 50,000 trees.
But Yin's journey did not stop there. Over the following decades, with the support of China's growing ecological restoration policies — including subsidies for afforestation and compensation for forest managers — she transformed the barren land into a productive family forest farm. Her success has inspired many others in the region to take up tree planting and sand control, transforming what was once a desperate struggle into a sustainable livelihood.
From the sandy hollow where the Yin couple lived in in 1985 and the earth hut they resided in until 1993, to the solid brick house Sakolsky saw when he last visited, and the two-story house the big family now lives in, the change in living environment is a clear example of ecological dividends.  
Uxin Banner lies in the heartland of the Mu Us Desert. The desertification rate was over 90 percent in the 1950s and forestation coverage was merely 7.2 percent as of 1980. Now, the forestation rate has increased to 33 percent, while plantation coverage has expanded to 85 percent, per official data. 
    Sakolsky and Yin enjoy watermelons and other fruits at Yin's home. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT
Carry on the greenness, kindness 
This miracle would have been impossible without numerous people like Yin, long-term systematic planning and scientific governance. 
Chen Ziliang, an expert from the local forestry and grassland bureau, said that Mu Us Desert's sand‑control journey has evolved from collective afforestation to contract desert‑reclamation, moving beyond the simple goal of "keeping trees alive" to restoring vegetation based on water‑resource conditions.  
Putting the idea of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice, Uxin Banner no longer views "greenness" and "growth" as an either‑or proposition. On restored sandy lands, the under‑forest economy, eco‑agriculture and eco‑tourism have flourished. Sand‑fixing shrubs are now processed into animal feed and biomass fuel, and local authorities are exploring photovoltaic‑powered desert control, the Global Times learned. 
Sand control is no longer just about keeping sand away; it's a development approach that guarantees a greener and better living environment alongside a booming economy and increasing incomes. 
On Monday afternoon, when Sakolsky finally stepped into the forest named after him, this American teacher witnessed the Chinese woman's perseverance and commitment to her promises. The $5,000 donated without expectations has grown into a thriving forest of around 50,000 trees. 
"A promise is a promise. Ms. Yin fulfilled her promise," Sakolsky said. After 27 years, the wasteland is green, and Sakolsky and Yin are "brother and sister." 
"This is the answer to how we guide young people: We must teach them love and perseverance. We need to show young people photos of Ms. Yin planting trees, digging the soil with her bare hands," Sakolsky remarked while packing a jar of sand. He said he planned to bring it back to the US, telling his grandchildren it is not just a jar of sand, but "a jar of love."   
Sakolsky told the Global Times earlier that the younger generation only knows about the dust-covered landscape from photos and stories of the elderly. It is important to tell them how the greenness is achieved, and how every single person can contribute to making an extensive forest in the harshest environment. 
"I see where China and America can work together. I see it, so I will not quit. She [Yin] never quit. 'Quit' is not in her vocabulary," Sakolsky said with emotion on Monday. 
"Chinese and Americans can be family. We can get over the differences if we focus on the similarities... If we focus on our similarities and not our differences, we can solve the problems."
At the end of Monday's schedule, Yin and Sakolsky planted another sapling together, just as they did about three decades ago, but in a completely different landscape. 
This new sapling carries on the story of not only greenness through generations of joint efforts, but also kindness across the Pacific Ocean. 
。    7月18日傍晚，黑龙江福彩2026年“民政惠民生 福彩龙江行”公益宣传活动在伊春市正式启幕。作为全省巡回公益宣传的开篇之作，本场活动以文艺演出为载体，以互动科普为纽带，将福彩公益理念融入精彩纷呈的舞台表演与惠民互动之中，为林都百姓送上了一场兼具文化质感与公益温度的惠民盛宴。盛夏的林都伊春，林海叠翠，清风送爽。活动现场，开场舞《盛世花开》以灵动昂扬的舞姿拉开整场演出序幕，活力四射的乐队演唱瞬间点燃现场氛围；傣族舞《花腰傣》尽显民族风情，古典杂技《彩碟纷飞》以千锤百炼的功底赢得满堂喝彩，奇幻魔术带来虚实交错的惊喜，舞蹈《我在黑龙江等你》更将黑土地的热忱邀约揉进每一步舞步之中，引得现场观众阵阵掌声。作为活动的精神内核，两首原创主题歌曲《福泽万家》与《福满龙江》成为全场亮点。

B | 作品以黑龙江这片黑土地为创作根脉，以福彩公益初心为精神内核，将“扶老、助残、救孤、济困”的发行宗旨融入悠扬舒展的旋律，既唱出了龙江大地的山河盛景与烟火温情，也诉说了黑龙江省福彩三十余年扎根民生、守护万家的坚守与担当，让公益情怀在歌声中直抵人心。为打破公益宣传的距离感，活动在节目间隙精心设置了多轮公益知识问答与大屏互动游戏。主持人围绕福彩发行宗旨、公益金提取规则、理性购彩理念、经典玩法发展历程等内容展开科普，观众踊跃举手参与答题，在轻松的互动中直观了解福彩公益的价值与意义；两轮大屏摇一摇竞速游戏将现场氛围推向高潮，趣味十足的互动形式让观众沉浸式参与其中，获奖观众收获即开型彩票刮刮乐礼品，真正实现了在娱乐中认知公益、在参与中感受温度。一场家门口的文艺演出，既是文化惠民的生动实践，更是福彩公益理念的具象化传播。作为2026年“民政惠民生 福彩龙江行”系列公益宣传活动的首站，伊春站活动承载着特殊的开篇意义——选择在素有“中国林都”之称的伊春启程，既是对这片生态沃土的致敬，也寓意着福彩公益事业如千年红松一般，始终扎根大地、向阳生长，稳稳扎根于民生沃土之中。首站落幕，步履不停。2026年“民政惠民生 福彩龙江行”公益宣传活动还将陆续走进省内其他地市，持续以群众喜闻乐见的形式传播福彩公益理念，展现责任彩票担当，让公益的暖流浸润龙江大地的每一个角落，为增进民生福祉持续注入温暖而坚实的福彩力量。

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Published on:10:38:20