腾格里研学｜跨越沙丘与星辰，在自然课堂中邂逅生命

从上海出发，夜幕降临时，学生们抵达了银川。第二天清晨，这场学者体验式学习之旅正式启程。

第一站，他们走进宁夏博物馆。馆内的石刻史书、古代艺术品静静陈列，如同一块多棱镜，折射出草原游牧文明的豪迈、黄河农耕文明的厚重，以及古丝绸之路的商贸繁华。

带着对这片土地历史与文化的思考，大家乘车翻越贺兰山，驶向腾格里沙漠的营地。

沙漠广袤，天高地远。抵达营地后，学生们迅速换上防滑鞋、背上能量包，开始了10公里徒步。起初，“沙漠”对大家而言或许只是单调的黄沙。但走着走着，它的“另一面”渐渐显现出来。

“沙漠里居然有这么多生物！”Angela惊讶道，遍地的蒿草打破了她对沙漠的刻板印象。Eline一路追着小昆虫跑，Gary发现一些蜥蜴和狐狸的脚印。他感叹“这些小动物也在这里生存，它们和植物相依为命。”

带队的瞿老师，同时也是中学部的一位科学老师，看着学生们的投入，笑着说：

徒步的过程不仅是体力的考验，更是意志的挑战。出发前，Angela曾对自己的体力和耐力产生怀疑。她设想，腾格里沙漠之行只是走一小段路，欣赏完沙漠景色就可以休息。

“我上一秒还在走，为什么下一秒要放弃？”Angela笑着说，沙漠给了她意想不到的鼓舞。

Departing from Shanghai early in the morning, the students arrived toinYinchuan at night. The next morning marked the official start of their scholarexperiential learning journey.

The first stop was atthe Ningxia Museum. Inside, stone-carved historical records and ancient artifacts stood quietly, like a multifaceted prism reflecting the legacy grandeurof nomadic steppe civilizations, the vastness depthof theYellow River agrarian culture, and the bustling commerce of the ancient Silk Road.

With reflections on the land’s history and culture in mind, they crossed theHelan Mountain and headed toward the Tengger Desert campsite.

The desert seemedwas endlessvast, with wideendlessskies and distant horizons. Upon arrivingal, thestudents quickly changed into put on their non-slip shoes, shouldered energy packs, and began a 10-kilometer trek. At first, the “desert” mayight have seemed like nothing more than monotonousyellow sand. But as they  walked, its “other hidden side” gradually slowly revealed itself.

“There are so many living creatures in the desert!” Angela exclaimed, surprisedamazedby the artemisia plantsscattered across the sand, which challengedchallengingher preconceived notions of the desert ecosystem. Eline chased after tiny insects, while Gary discovered examined thefootprints of lizards and foxes. He remarked, “Even these small animals survive here, depending relying on the plants to live.”

Leading the group, Mr. Qu, a secondary school science teacher, smiled as he watched the students’ excitementengagement.

The trek was not only a physical challengephysically challenging but also a test of willpower. Before departure, Angela had doubted her stamina. She had imagined the desert trip asto be a short walk, enjoying the scenery and thenresting.

“Why give up when I was walking just a second ago?” Angela laughed. The desert had given her an unexpected surge ofencouragement.

从天鹅湖营地到额肯伊尔湖，16公里的徒步是第三天的行程之一。

在一望无际的金色沙海中，40多个天然沙湖点缀其间，天鹅湖便是其中的一个。站在沙丘上向北望去，排列整齐的枯草方格远看如“田”字。

营地老师介绍，这些麦草方格是“治沙利器”，不仅固定流沙，还帮助周围植被生根发芽，为沙漠带来生机。

在“沙漠取水法”的体验中，大家选择在沙丘背风的一侧挖了几个浅坑寻找水源。挖着挖着，Tim发现干涸的河道和芦苇丛附近的土壤更湿，植物也更茂盛，说明地下可能有水。

提取地下水时，Gary还记录了小窍门：“可以用空心的芦苇或水壶，顺着植物根部的湿沙轻轻吸水。”

结束了植物科考后，夜幕缓缓降临，沙漠的魅力愈发显现。星空璀璨，带来无尽灵感。围坐一起，学生们写下《一封来自沙漠的信》，与自己对话。Angela回忆：

On the third day, one of the routes led the students from Swan Lake Camp to Ekeneyir Lake, a 16-kilometer trek.

Amid the golden sands stretching endlessly, over forty natural sand lakes dotted the landscape, Swan Lake being one of them. From the top of a dune, the neatly arranged squares of withered grass resembledlooked likethe character for ‘field’ from afar.

Camp instructors explained that these grass squares were “sand-fixing tools”, anchoringhelping to stabilize theshifting sand andwhile helpingallowing nearby plants totake root, bringing life to the desert.

During the “desert water collection” experience, everyone dug several shallow pits on the leeward side of the sand dunes to look for water sources. While digging, Tim noticed that the soil near dry riverbeds and clusters of reeds was moister, and the plants were more luxuriant, indicating the possible presence of underground water.

When extracting groundwater, Gary also noted a useful tip: “You can use hollow reeds or a water bottle to gently draw water from the moist sand around the roots of plants.”

As night fell, the desert became enchanting. Beneath a star-filled sky, the students wrote A Letter from the Desert, a dialogue with themselves. Angela recalled,

有人说，历史从来不为难任何人，它只是冷静记录每个人生存的分量。

研学的第四天，随着大巴车缓缓向前，连绵山岭渐渐远去，同学们抵达了阿拉善腾格里沙漠锁边生态公益项目基地。

基地由吴向荣先生创立，他不仅是阿拉善左旗的本地人，还是治沙行动的积极参与者。在这次研学中，吴先生团队的工作人员全程接待，并讲述了治沙故事与实践意义。

讲解结束后，同学们迫不及待地投入到植树实践中——亲手栽下属于自己的治沙树苗。大家认真挖坑、扶正树苗、填土压实、浇水定根，每一步都不马虎。两排整齐的树苗像小卫士般挺立在沙地上，等待未来生长。

植树后，基地为每位同学颁发了公益证书。接过证书的那一刻，他们感受到的不只是认可，更是一份沉甸甸的责任——守护生态的承诺。

有同学回忆：“基地老师的解说让我重新找回了行动的力量。我暗自决定：‘等我有机会，一定还要再来种更多树。’”

还有许多同学意识到了水资源和其他自然资源的稀缺理解保护环境的重要性。通过植树活动，他们明白，防沙治沙不仅仅是改变沙漠，而是为了防止周边地区沙漠化，沙漠本身也在生态系统中有着不可忽视的。

It is said that history challenges no one; it simply records the weight of every life.

On the fourth day, the bus drove on forward, the mountains receding into the distance, until theystudentsarrived at the Alxa Tengger Desert Lock Edge Ecological Public Welfare Project Base.

The base was founded by Mr. Wu Xiangrong, a local and active participant in desert restoration. His team welcomed thestudents throughout the trip, sharing stories and highlighting the significance of desert management practices.

After the briefing, eachstudents eagerly planted  their own desert-restorationseedlings. They carefully dug holes, positioned saplings, packed soil, and watered the roots. Two neat rows of young trees stood like tiny guardians, waiting to grow.

After planting was complete, each student received a public welfare certificate. In that moment, they felt not just recognition, but a profound responsibility—to protect the environment.

Angela recalled, “I felt a bit car-sick, but the base instructors’ explanations—, from the origin of the base to the spirit of volunteering—,gave me renewed strength. I silently promised myself, ‘When I am able, I will come back and plant even more trees.’”

Many students also became more aware ofrecognizedthe scarcity of water and other natural resources and understood the importance of environmental protection. Through tree planting, they realized that combating desertification isn’t is not just about changing the desert—it is about preserving the surrounding regions and understanding the desert’s role in the ecosystem.

返程前，司机师傅带着大家体验了一次“沙漠冲浪”。车辆在沙丘间上下起伏，仿佛小舟乘风破浪，心也随着节奏一紧一松，尽情感受着沙漠的自由与力量。

当车队再次驶回银川，西夏王陵成为这段旅程的最后一站。

返程的飞机从河东机场起飞，舷窗下，贺兰山的巍峨与黄河的滋养，将这片“塞上江南”尽收眼底。

腾格里沙漠的辽阔与孤寂，伴随着“大漠孤烟直，长河落日圆”的画面，仍在脑海回荡。人已回到熟悉的城市，心却依旧留在那片沙海——这次研学之旅，不仅让同学们看见了沙漠的模样，更让他们体会到自然的智慧、文化的厚重，以及“坚持”与“责任”的深刻意义。

Before returning, the driver letgave the students a chance toexperience ‘“desert surfing,’” withas the vehicle undulatinged over thedunes like a boat riding waves.,Ttheir hearts moveding with the terrain, fully feeling the desert’s freedom and power.

Back in Yinchuan, the Western Xia Royal Tombs became were the final stop of the journey.

The flight from Hedong Airport offered a bird’s-eyeview of Helan Mountain’s majesty and the nourishing Yellow River, capturing this “Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall” in onea singleglance.

The vastness and solitude of the Tengger Desert, accompanied by theimagery of ‘“lonely smoke rising in the desert, the long river under the round setting sun,’” lingered in their minds. Though they wereback in the familiar city, their hearts remained in that sea of sand. This experiential journey allowed thestudents not only to see the desert’s appearancelandscapebut also to appreciate nature’s wisdom, cultural depth, and the profound meanings of perseverance and responsibility.