Current location:business >>
Indefatigable Team of Women Transform Barren Coastal Area of Hainan with Largescale Tree
business8People have gathered around
IntroductionContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
- Home
- News
- People
- In-depth
- ACWF
Indefatigable Team of Women Transform Barren Coastal Area of Hainan with Largescale Tree-Planting Efforts
April 15, 2022Photo shows Tao Fengjiao and women in her community carrying saplings on their shoulders and walking barefoot across the scorching sand in Qizi Bay, Changjiang Li Autonomous County in south China's Hainan Province. [Photo courtesy of the Media Convergence Center of Changjiang Li Autonomous County] |
Over the past three decades, Tao Fengjiao and more than 100 women have together planted around 6 million casuarina trees in barren desert areas on a beach and cultivated some 33,800 mu (about 2,253 hectares) of coastal forests in the Changjiang Li Autonomous County of south China's Hainan Province.
Changjiang Li Autonomous County, located in the southwestern coastal area of Hainan, used to be severely affected by desertification. During the eight-month dry season every year, the amount of evaporation is twice as much as the amount of precipitation in Changjiang.
Qizi Bay, located in Changhua township under the jurisdiction of Changjiang Li Autonomous County, has faced a more severe situation as the annual level of precipitation there is normally just around 700 millimeters. The long and narrow desert area, consisting of 5,030 mu of terrain with moving sands and more than 13,000 mu of terrain with semi-moving sands, has negatively impacted the production and living conditions of local residents.
In the 1970s, forestry departments at various levels in Hainan Province took multiple measures to plant more trees in order to fix the sand in place at Qizi Bay, but their efforts failed to pay off in the end. The provincial forestry department of Hainan even invited two German experts to help, but they both thought the sand was "uncontrollable."
In 1992, a businessman took over the coastal forest construction project in Qizi Bay. He hired locals to plant trees and paid them 7 yuan ($1.099) per person, per day. However, the project ended up going nowhere and the businessman eventually had to give up on the project.
Tao, who joined the project with the original intention of making a living, together with other women in her village, undertook the tree-planting job with great courage.
The women tree-planting team explored a very simple method to plant trees — they first collected tree seeds by hand from the trees, and then planted the seeds and cultivated them until they grew into saplings. After having tried and failed multiple times, they finally succeeded in cultivating saplings that could survive the harsh local conditions.
Each of the women had to carry about 65 kg of saplings on their shoulders and walk barefoot across the scorching sand, while some of them even carried more than 130 kg of saplings per trip in an attempt to improve their efficiency.
Due to the heavy workload, the women planters were often soaked in sweat, while their shoulders were in pain due to the heavy loads they carried, having also gotten calluses on their feet. However, Tao and most of the women never flinched in front of all the difficulties.
The efforts of the women planters finally paid off. Over the past 30 years, these women not only planted around 6 million casuarina trees but also cultivated some 33,800 mu (about 2,253 hectares) of coastal forests in the sandy areas around Qizi Bay, where the mortality rate for trees planted there was once as high as 99 percent.
An official from the forestry department of Changjiang Li Autonomous County introduced that in 2010, the total protected area for coastal forests in the county was more than 52,000 mu, with over 36 percent of the trees having been planted by Tao and other women planters.
Tao has been awarded many honorary titles because of her contributions to the cause of sand control.
"I planted trees to make a living in the first place, and gradually I realized that in addition to planting trees, I also wanted to protect them. Seeing that the sandy areas have turned into an oasis, I feel really happy," said Tao. "I'll keep doing this as long as my health permits," the woman said.
(Source: People's Daily Online)
32.3K
Please understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Comments
Magazines
Projects
- 2023 Women Science and Technology Innovation Pioneer...
Photos
- People Enjoy Blooming Tulips in Jinan, East...
- Flowers Bloom Across China in Spring
Special Coverage
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Space news portal”。http://iceland.downmusic.org/article-86e099877.html
Related articles
Shooting injures 2 at Missouri high school graduation ceremony
businessCAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Two people were injured when gunfire broke out during a high school gradu ...
【business】
Read moreArgentine state news agency Telam shut after Milei threat
businessBy Lucila SigalCarla Guadensi, centre, General Secretary of the Argentine Federation of Press Worker ...
【business】
Read moreTauranga boarding house fails healthy homes standards, owner ordered to pay tenants
businessResidents of the 21-bedroom house were mostly made up of ex-prisoners on parole or the homeless requ ...
【business】
Read more
Popular articles
- Burglar hurled stolen mobile phones at police from the top of 60ft high roof during nine
- Compulsory microchipping and desexing of pet cats after Lower Hutt council vote
- Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis a wake up call
- Ferrari F512M stolen in 1995 is recovered by Met Police
- Jon Wysocki dead at 53: Staind drummer passes away
- 'Enough is enough': Making streets safe for young women
Latest articles
What a blast to work at NASA. Space agency is sky
Trump posts $91m bond as he appeals against E Jean Carroll defamation case
TVNZ staff want to know why profitable shows are being cut
Argentine state news agency Telam shut after Milei threat
Nadal returns to Roland Garros to practice amid doubts over fitness and form
Good News: Stories that cheered us up for the week of 11
LINKS
- Guideline issued to boost development of private sector
- Xi Presents Order to Promote Military Officers to Rank of General
- China Focus: Vibrant festival highlights cultural charm of various Chinese ethnic groups
- Central Committee revised regulations on inspection work
- G20 not a platform for resolving geopolitical struggles and security issues: Chinese FM
- Beijing, Paris eye fruitful cooperation
- Xi stresses boosting guarantee ability of land element for high
- FM highlights positive signs in EU relations
- Top HK official vows to advance Article 23 legislation at full speed
- Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy leads Chinese box office