‘Green miracle’: retired US teacher visits China forest he helped fund over 2 decades ago

Today, vegetation covers more than 80 per cent of the Mu Us Desert, one of China’s four major sandy regions.

Published: 10:00am, 30 Aug 2026

In 1999, American teacher Ronald Sakolsky raised US$5,000 to help Inner Mongolian farmer Yin Yuzhen fight desertification by planting trees in northern China’s Mu Us Desert. Twenty-six years later, they reunited to walk through a thriving green forest that replaced the barren sands.

‘Green miracle’: retired US teacher visits China forest he helped fund over 2 decades ago

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Today, vegetation covers more than 80 per cent of the Mu Us Desert, one of China’s four major sandy regions.

Today, vegetation covers more than 80 per cent of the Mu Us Desert, one of China’s four major sandy regions.