Young leaders driving environmental change

Youth for nature

Nature protection and wildlife conservation may be relatively niche fields, but young people like Zhong, Li, and Sheng are dedicated and driven by the belief that "life is not a one-way street", and their efforts are yielding results.

According to Zhong, more than 800,000 trees have been planted this year, covering over 2,000 mu (around 133 hectares) of land targeted for desertification control.

Last year, more than 7,000 volunteers participated in the initiative, and so far this year, there have already been 34,000 volunteer visits.

Half of these volunteers are university students and young people aged 20 to 35, coming from various professions and regions.

Nan Xi, a 27-year-old art teacher from Gansu, joined the tree-planting base and brightened the surroundings by painting murals on the steel-framed buildings. She also took on organizational duties and often serves as the first person to welcome new volunteers. She even brought in her parents to help with cooking, which has greatly improved meals for everyone at the base.

Last year, after watching Become a Farmer, Wan Ci, a 25-year-old office worker from Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, traveled to Minqin for the first time. There, she saw elderly locals who had dedicated their lives to combating desertification now growing old, and a question began to weigh on her: Who would carry on their work?

Back at her desk job, Wan grew increasingly restless. The feeling eventually became overwhelming, and she quit without hesitation. Since then, she has spent over a year in Minqin as a full-time volunteer.

"Minqin doesn't just belong to the locals — it's part of the world," she said. "It plays a crucial role in the regional ecosystem. Improving the environment here can effectively prevent sandstorms from spreading to other areas."

Wan also emphasized that the momentum behind Minqin's tree-planting efforts goes well beyond the brief fame brought by the reality show.

"It has a long-lasting impact and will continue to inspire people," she said. "The popularity of this year's campaign comes not from the show, but from the commitment of the volunteers."

Li is also grateful that she didn't follow a "standard life path" or subscribe to a purely "meritocratic "mindset but instead chose a direction she truly believes in.

Looking ahead, she plans to focus on environmental policy research.

When faced with skepticism about her "idealism", Li's answer is always clear: "Conservation work may not show results for decades, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful. We must believe the environment is improving — and we need to be part of the effort pushing it forward."

Pu Yiyu contributed to this story.