Using determination and hard work, Yin Yuzhen and her husband have turned a lonely and empty Chinese desert into an oasis of trees and vegetables.

In 1986, the couple moved to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Yin was shocked at the vast emptiness of the area and so decided to plant trees.

Her husband worked hard in the local community, taking payment as saplings and over the last 28 years the couple have planted over 600,000 trees, covering 1,600 hectares.

The local community are amazed at the transformation and even the government have now acknowledged their work and are funding new trees.

This is an amazing example of how any habitat can be rejuvenated and turned into a diverse eco-system - exactly what is needed for the future of this planet.

Further resources

Watch: Greening the desert using permaculture

The man who stopped the desert

Desert or Paradise: Restoring Endangered Landscape Using Water Management, Including Lake and Pond Construction

Watch: How to green the world's deserts and reverse climate change

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