Desert blooms from act of kindness

Anticipated reunion

Sakolsky will travel to China in August for around 10 days to meet Yin. She plans to cook him noodles and share Inner Mongolian lamb skewers. He wants to plant a new tree.

His incredible story has touched many hearts worldwide. At least 40 to 50 of his former students from around the world intend traveling to China to reconnect with him.

On a recent family vacation in Australia, Sakolsky was sitting on a tour bus when two tourists, one from Singapore and one from Hong Kong, recognized him.

"They turned around and said to me, 'you look like the guy on a video that we just watched on the internet, about a forest,' and I said 'yes, that's me.'

"I couldn't believe I was halfway around the world and these people were recognizing me," Sakolsky said. "A simple world history teacher from Plum, a suburb of Pittsburgh."

On June 19, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng invited Sakolsky and other Americans to the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC.

The teacher, who retired in 2021, described it as an "honor", adding he "never expected anything like these last six weeks".

Yin, now living in Wushen Banner in the city of Ordos, continues to protect Maowusu, which covers about 42,200 square kilometers.

Their story has inspired others to volunteer. Her son also cares for the land.

Sakolsky, who was given the Chinese name Long Fu, which he was told meant "happy dragon", has become a social media star.

His house, full of memories, is adorned with photos of his family, a life-size replica of a Terracotta Warrior (a gift from Bai Fan), panda toys, photos of his time in China, gifts and a large, mock, plane ticket from the Inner Mongolia People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries inviting him to visit.

But over the years he has also faced personal challenges.

His wife Barbara has had dementia for six years and he patiently takes care of her each day.

Five years ago, he broke four vertebrae in his neck after slipping in his driveway while shoveling snow. He has recovered and gained even more strength from the outpouring of kindness from China over his story, he said.

"If we focus on our similarities and not our differences, the world would be at peace," he said.

Sakolsky also reminisced on one of his favorite quotes from Aesop's fable The Lion and the Mouse. "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. If the forest doesn't tell that story, I don't know what does," he said.