I used to share somewhat mixed feelings about the city of Lanzhou.

I used to share somewhat mixed feelings about the city of Lanzhou. Surrounded by mountains, with China's second-longest river through its downtown area, this major industrial city in Northwest China was once known for its heavy air pollution. Due to the joint efforts of all parties, the environment has improved significantly. Things seem to be getting better, but various indicators suggest that this city is still facing environmental challenges. Green Camel Bell means more than just an environmental NGO for me. Rooted in my belief, green is the color of nature, camel means hard working, and bell is a reminder to keep alert all the time. GCB has been focusing its efforts on environmental protection since its establishment. I first heard about the Lanzhou-based organization from an interview program when Time magazine nominated the founder, a young graduate student, for "Hero of the Environment" for his independent investigation of water pollution. Since then, GCB has been a symbol of consciousness in my mind, representing awareness, responsibility, and commitment to environmental concerns. Encouraged by what they have done, I have enrolled myself as an environmental volunteer since my high school years, giving myself opportunities to participate in various activities, including training programs about desertification control, restoration of declining ecosystems in western China, environmental education among primary students, and improving environmental awareness in public. As the primary coordinator, I started an initiative called "Protect Mother River, Let's Do it Together. " This program yielded great enthusiasm from participants, and prompted the government to eliminate pollution. In fact, we are only making a small step in the right direction, and what we have done is never good enough. Sometimes, when walking along the riverbank, I will stop for a while, enjoying myself watching the wild ducks paddling on the river surface, which has rarely been seen for decades. For what we have done, we recently received acknowledgment from the local Environmental Protection Agency. This acknowledgment is not only in recognition of our past work but rather the most tremendous encouragement prompting our continuing efforts in this direction.