The past two years witnessed the effective implementation of projects focusing on water conservation and environmental protection by the center and water resources departments across the country.

Teachers and students from primary and middle schools in Beijing, Wuhan, Hubei province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Fuzhou, Fujian province, and some other cities have been trained and encouraged to protect rivers and lakes in their hometowns.

Liang Lizhu, president of a primary school in Liwan district, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, took part in such activities and turned into a river-protection volunteer herself.

Located near Simachong River, the school seeks to incorporate environmental protection into its curriculum. Courses that combine environmental science with geography and biology have been designed to cultivate qualified volunteers for river management in the area. Young students get the opportunity to help with testing water quality, promote water conservation in communities and plant flowers along the river.

"Such experiences have gradually formed their awareness of saving and protecting water resources, as well as a sense of social responsibility," says Liang.

Beijing National Day School has also made its own attempts to stimulate students' voluntary action in sustainable development. To revitalize labor education, the school has turned a stretch of land on campus into farmland. Farming tools and detailed instructions are provided for students to have a hands-on experience of growing crops, vegetables and fruits.

"We also have cooking classes where students can make dishes using what they've harvested from the farmland. Then they are more likely to understand that every single grain is the result of someone's toil," Cao Haiyun, a teacher from the school, says.

"After that it's natural for them to avoid wasting food," he adds.