Ronald Sakolsky, a retired teacher from the United States, returned to the home of China's afforestation hero, Yin Yuzhen, on Monday in Uxin Banner, Ordos, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Back in 1999, while teaching in Luoyang, Sakolsky was moved by Yin's story of fighting desertification and donated $5,000 to the cause. She used the money to plant 50,000 trees, which have since grown into a towering forest in the Maowusu sandy area.