Desertification Prevention and Green Development Road of Babusha Forest Farm | Ecology | Babusha

Desertification is a major global ecological problem that affects human survival and development. China is one of the countries with the most severe desertification in the world.

The three generations of workers at Babusha Forest Farm, represented by the "Six Old Men," are important promoters of this noble cause. Babu Sand Forest Site is located in Gulang County, Gansu Province, at the east end of Hexi Corridor and the south edge of Tengger Desert. In the past, sandstorms ravaged here, eroding surrounding villages and farmland, seriously affecting the production and life of the people. In order to protect their homeland, in the early 1980s, six villagers, including Guo Chaoming, He Falin, Shi Man, Luo Yuankui, Cheng Hai, and Zhang Runyuan, bravely advanced towards the Eight Steps of Sand and established a collective forest farm in the form of joint production and contracting to manage 75000 acres of quicksand. For over 40 years, they have been unwavering, dedicated, and dedicated to scientific desertification control and green development, persistently promoting the cause of desertification control and afforestation. With the spirit of Yu Gong moving mountains, they vividly wrote a green chapter from "sand forcing people to retreat" to "people advancing and retreating from sand", making important contributions to desertification prevention and ecological environment governance. In March 2019, he was awarded the title of "Model of the Times" by the Central Propaganda Department, and in September of the same year, he was also awarded the honorary title of "Most Beautiful Struggler".

On August 21, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Babusha Forest Farm to inspect the local sand control, afforestation and ecological protection on the spot. He pointed out that the heroic deeds of the "six old men" in Babusha Forest Farm have long been well-known, and the new era needs more contemporary fools and models of the times like "six old men.

Employees of Babusha Forest Farm patrol the Gulang County Committee Propaganda Department in the sand control area, providing pictures

Ba Bu Sha, according to legend, was an eight step wide sandbox over 100 years ago, called "Ba Bu Sha". There is another saying that when a person walks here, their feet sink into the sand and they can only struggle to "trek", so it is called "Bu Bu Sha". In the 1960s and 1970s, with climate drought and excessive land reclamation, this place was already a barren land covered in yellow sand. The sandstorm is moving southward at a speed of 7.5 meters per year, constantly devouring farmland and invading villages, posing a huge threat to the production and daily life of local residents as well as the transportation of roads and railways.

In 1981, Gulang County, as the frontier of the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, set out to control the desert, and piloted the policy of "government subsidies, individual contracting, who controls, who owns" to Babusha. At a critical moment, the "Six Old Men" stood up and pressed their fingerprints on the contract, forming the Babusha Forest Farm. "For many years, it has been sand driving people away. Now, we must carry the sand forward!" From then on, the "Six Old Men" not only buried themselves in the desert, but also made a vow to inherit their father's life. The old men's idea is simple: they can't bear to leave the place where their ancestors have lived for generations! We must find ways to preserve our farmland and home, and even if it's difficult, we must give it a try.

In the early stage of contract management, without funds, technology, and experience, afforestation can only be carried out using the soil method of "one step, one bow, one seedling, one ladle of water". They transport seedlings, water, and wheat straw to the desert on their backs, and then lay bundles flat in the dug sand ditch. Because the sand control point is far from home, they rolled three stones into a pot and covered the sand nest. Frozen, snuggled together, or burned a handful of hay; Tired, lying on the sand dune, taking a few puffs of dry smoke... Several strong winds blew by, and nearly half of the saplings were buried by the sand. Cleaning up the dried dead saplings, the old men felt uneasy in their hearts, but they believed that "as long as there were live saplings, it meant that this sand could cure it!" Time passed day by day, and they came and went in the wind and rain, relay and dedicating themselves in the desert yellow sand, fighting against the wind and sand, and fighting against fate. Finally, they made the barren Babusha grow green trees and grass, giving it a lush landscape!

In 2003, the task of controlling 75000 mu of Babu sand was completed, forming a green barrier with a length of 10 kilometers from north to south and a width of 8 kilometers from east to west, and good forest and grass for wind and sand fixation. Conquering Ba Bu Sha has strengthened the confidence of the sand control personnel. Guo Wangang, the son of Guo Laohan, voluntarily volunteered to head towards the three major sand and wind mouths of Heigang Sand, Dacao Sand, and Momi Sand, which are 25 kilometers away from the forest farm and pose the most serious threat of sandstorms. Nowadays, the third generation of sand control personnel have taken over the shovels and picks from their ancestors and ancestors. They have culture and knowledge of technology, not only allowing the barren desert to grow crops, but also deserticola, lock sun, goji berries, and red dates. Up to now, the county has completed 1.2735 million mu of sand control and afforestation in Babusha, Heigangsha and northern sand areas, 1.3662 million mu of sand management and protection for forest and grass cultivation, more than 150 million varieties of desert seedlings, more than 200 kilometers of sand control roads, more than 200 kilometers of high standard greening of provincial roads, railways, expressways and other channels, more than 5 million varieties of seedlings, and built green sand prevention belts and green industrial belts at the edge of the Tengger Desert.

Within 40 years, three generations have inherited each other's bloodline. From the first generation of sand control workers who used the soil method of "one tree, one blade of grass, pressing down on the sand to prevent wind erosion", to the second generation of sand control workers who innovatively applied the "grid shaped double eyebrow" sand barrier structure and implemented grid management for afforestation and protection, and to the third generation of sand control workers who comprehensively tried new technologies such as "grass grid, fine water drip irrigation, and plastic film covering", from sand control and afforestation to cultivating the sand industry and developing the ecological economy, they explored the industrial development model of "company+base+farmers" in practice, creating a path of desertification prevention and control that "promotes forests through agriculture, promotes secondary forests, and combines agriculture and forestry, and scientific development". At the same time, Babusha combines sand prevention and control with industrial cultivation and targeted poverty alleviation, establishes a multi-directional and multi-channel interest linkage mechanism, continuously explores the new model of "getting rich with sand", realizes the goal of getting rich through sand control, and achieves a virtuous cycle of protecting ecology and improving people's livelihoods. It has made beneficial explorations for China's desertification prevention and control, and has written the most beautiful footnote in protection and development.

Photo provided by the Propaganda Department of Babusha Gulang County Committee, with lush greenery

Sand prevention and control is a process of rolling stones up the mountain, and a slight relaxation can lead to recurrence. It is necessary to continue to do this work well.