Setbacks

In 2002, while carrying a bundle of saplings, Gerel fell and broke her left wrist, yet she did not tell anyone and was treated by a local bonesetter. She continued to plant trees, but has been left with permanent injuries and is unable to carry heavy objects.

Uul, Gerel's son, said no one in the family supported the couple's mission to grow trees as they were worried about their health.

"However, as they would not give up, the only thing we could do was visit them as frequently as possible," he said.

The couple's children and grandchildren traveled to the village almost every weekend and during holidays to help them plant and tend to the trees, he said.

Through experiments with different seeds and saplings and planting methods, the survival rate of the trees gradually increased, Gerel said.