Environment and safety improve as 14 percent of population donate effort, Jia Tingting reports from Guiyang.

Volunteer Lei Yueqin patrols along the Nanming River every morning in Guiyang, then reports her findings on pollution.

The 77-year-old has her own way of protecting the once-heavily polluted river in the capital of Guizhou province in Southwest China.

"The shack-dwellers along the river bank selling food pollute the river badly," said Lei, who has been involved in environmental programs as a registered volunteer since 2008.

"I was born to protect water and forests," she said. "I am a lifelong volunteer."

Lei recalled her childhood fleeing from Wuhan to Guizhou with her parents during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. She contracted serious malaria that nearly took her life.

"I realized how important a drop of clean water could be when it saved my life," Lei said, adding that she was determined to protect water for her whole life from then on.

The Guiyang government set up a special department in 2007 to protect two lakes and one reservoir, the major source of drinking water for the city.

But Lei's environmental efforts began much earlier.

After her retirement from a materials recycling company in 1984, she spent nearly 10 years traveling around China to learn about advanced environmental protection measures. She returned to Guiyang in 1994 to promote what she learned.

Lei drew a map of the Nanming River, marking more than 200 pollutant sources. She has visited each site for the past 30 years.

On her routine morning patrols, she persuaded farmers, local dwellers and factory owners at the sites to reduce pesticides, sewage and industrial pollution, which she considers the three major pollution sources.

"Not everyone would understand," Lei said. She was once hit and ended up with a fractured finger after attempting to persuade a man not to fish in the protected Aha reservoir.

"But I saw nearly 100 pollution sites fade from the map thanks to the government's efforts," Lei said. "The difficulties and misunderstanding I encountered meant nothing to me when the river became clearer.

"Pollution turned the Nanming River black and stinking. I hope that our work will enable it to become clean again," she said, adding that she dreams her three grandchildren can swim in the river one day, just as in her childhood.

Liu Chuan, a junior student in Guizhou Normal University, is among the growing population of young volunteers.

As the president of an eco-protection association at the university, the 22-year-old takes a leading part in volunteer environmental work.

Dimming the lights for one hour on Earth Day, planting a tree on the Arbor Day, or just leading his team to pick up rubbish in a park, Liu said he believes every small deed accumulates into big achievements.

He plans to establish his own career with a project to recycle discarded parcel packages.

"I firmly believe we will make it," Liu said in a loud voice.

Lei and Liu are among the rising number of volunteers who devote their time and energy to environmental protection, especially after a local volunteer group named Green Ribbon - a household name in Guiyang - was founded in 2008.

The number of volunteers has grown to 460,000, some 14 percent of the city's permanent residents.

Zhang Liang, group leader of voluntary services at the Guiyang civil affairs office, said voluntary service has become a daily routine for local people.

"Voluntary service has no boundaries," Zhang said, adding that groups from Guizhou have participated in rescue operations around China including the emergency aid during the severe earthquakes at Wenchuan in 2008 and Ya'an in 2013.

A recent survey shows that Guiyang residents' sense of security exceeded 90 percent in 2013, ranking one of the nation's top 10 cities.

At present, some 1,500 volunteer groups and 92 volunteer stations serve the city, including a patrol group made up of elderly women that has helped reduce crime in their residential community.

The volunteer group starts their daily patrols at 9 am.

"We patrol every day to make sure each security door is locked," said member Luo Fengjun. "Once we find suspicious strangers, we report to the neighborhood committee.

"Of course, we clean litter up along the way as well," Luo said.

The Putuo community, where the volunteer group works, had public order issues in the past.

Since 2007, 37 retired elderly women and mothers from low-income families living in the community have volunteered for the patrols.

The community service center gives them each a monthly subsidy of 700 yuan ($115).

"There are 29 volunteer groups in Guiyang's nine districts and counties," said Hu Wangying, an official of the Women's Federation of Guiyang.

"A few years ago, thefts and crimes often happened in our community, but now almost no crime here. We all know they are doing practical work for us," said Zeng Xianfen, a resident in the community.

From January to April this year, the number of criminal cases in Guiyang dropped 23 percent year-on-year.

Contact the writer at jiatingting@chinadailyl.com.cn

Li Jun and Guo Ruoqi contributed to this story.