Sadhana Forest started its ecological revival and sustainable living work on December 2003. The dream is to ecologically transform 70 acres of severely eroded land in Auroville, into a vibrant Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF). This forest type is found only in Southern India and Sri Lanka and provides a rare biological richness due to its very high species abundance. The Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest is now close to total extinction; only 0.01% survives. This is a last moment effort to keep this very rich and beautiful Forest on earth. The main action areas are planting the TDEF, water conservation, soil erosion control, and sustainable living education.
In the last four years, or so, Sadhana Forest has created a natural living environment with a solar power generation and water pumping unit, composting toilets, plant based gray water treatment system, natural buildings for living quarters for volunteers and residents, and community cooking and eating facilities.
Sadhana Forest makes a conscious effort to involve as many young people and children in the process of ecological revival of the land, and in sustainable living. Children from the surrounding villages and from Auroville regularly take part in this mutual effort. These children do not have any memory of the ancient forest which was destroyed hundreds of years before they were born. Our aim is to allow them the opportunity to experience the original forest of their land. For many of them it is their first hands on experience in sustainable living. Interns, students and volunteers from India and around the world are working and staying free of charge in Sadhana Forest.
KEY MILESTONES (since the beginning of Sadhana Forest, nearly five years ago).
INDIGENOUS TREE PLANTING:
We planted more than 18,200 Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest plants of 150 different indigenous species, and are constantly mulching and caring for them.
Survival rate in average is between 80% - 90%. Survival rate does not fall below 70% even on the most degraded soil
Water table recharge and conservation:
More than 7 kilometers of trenches have been dug and eight earth dams have been built, altogether storing more than 30,000 cubic meters of rain water.
As a result of this work underground water level has risen by 6 meters from an average of 26 feet deep during 2003 (before Sadhana Forest was started) to an average of 6 feet during 2007 after four years of intensive water conservation work.
Outreach and Education:
A very warm friendship has developed between us and the villagers around. We work together to regenerate and protect our area. The project is very frequently visited by local people, especially kids. Every visitor is welcome and gets an explanation of the project and its value to the environment.
More than 1,500 volunteers, interns, and students from India and around the world have lived and worked in Sadhana Forest for periods of 2 weeks to 24 months. Accommodation in Sadhana Forest is always free.
Hundreds of children from the surrounding villages and from Auroville have planted TDEF trees.
Over 50 kids are regularly caring for the trees they planted on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Twenty Ecological Living workshops were given as part of the Auroville Winter Integral Studies Program. Totally more than 600 people attended these workshops:
http://www.auroville.info/WISP/17_aviram.htm
The second Van Utsav (Indian Forest Festival) was hosted in March 2006, with attendance of over 100 people from all over India:
http://www.auroville.org/journals&media/avtoday/April_2006/sadhana_forest.htm During the festival lots of relevant update environmental information and skills were exchanged between the participants.
A group of students from Plymouth State University, New Hampshire stayed in Sadhana Forest with their professor in January 2008 and their experiences are described at: http://www.plymouth.edu/magazine/2008/spring/sustainability.html
More than 4 thousand people have visited Sadhana Forest for a few hours and received a basic introduction to our work.
In June 2008, we started the Eco-Film Club. Every Friday we host 20-80 guests for a free environment film screen, tour of the project, and free vegan dinner.
Sustainable Infrastructure:
Sustainable infrastructure was installed that can host local and international volunteers.
All structures are built from local natural materials. A solar system, dry composting toilets, and a grey water system have been installed. Water infrastructure has been built that enables to water trees on 30% of the land.
Contact details:
Yorit and Aviram Rozin
Sadhana Forest
Auroville
605101
India
Email: sadhanaforest@auroville.org.in
Tel: 0091 413 267 7682/3
On leaving us, one of our volunteers wrote, 'May there be many more forests to grow people."
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ONLINE DONATIONS:
Please make your donation via
https://secure.aviusa.org/donations_donatenow_sadhana.php, making sure you scroll down to the Sadhana Forest project in the "Donate to" box before you complete the process.
Please, send an email to Aviram and Yorit at sadhanaforest@auroville.org.in (important, to ensure Sadhana Forest receives your donation).
Contact Aviram at sadhanaforest@auroville.org for info on courses at Sadhana Forest.
Sadhana Forest (добровольное объединение/ассоциация)
Общая информация
Краткое описание:
Ассоциация Sadhana Forest экологически возрадилась и занялась проектом Устойчивая жизнь в декабре 2003-го года. Ассоциация мечтает трансформировать 35 гектаров весьма эродированной земли, находящейся в Аровиль, в живой тропический сухой вечнозелёный лес. Такой тип леса можно найти только в южной Индии и в Шри Ланка. Он весьма биологически богат благодаря множеству различных видов проживающих в нём. Сегодня, тропический сухой вечнозелёный лес находиться под угрозой полного вымирания; от него остался лишь 0,01%. Это последняя возможность сохранить такой богатый и красивый лес на земле. Наша основная работа состоит в возрождении леса, в сохранении воды, в надзоре над выветриванием почвы, а также в просвещении населения о целях и задачах проекта Устойчивая жизнь.
За последние четыре года, Sadhana Forest создавала естественные условия окружающей среды благодаря производству солнечной энергии и устройству водоразбора, благодаря устройству для компостирования нечистот, системе водоподготовки сточных вод, строительству жилых помещений из природных материалов для добровольцев и резидентов и строительству коммунально-бытовых сооружений.
Sadhana Forest прилагает усилия по вовлечению как можно большего числа молодых людей и детей в процесс экологического возрождения земли и в проект устойчивой жизни.
Дети с соседних деревень и с Аровиль регулярно принимают участвие в этих совместных усилиях. У этих детей нет воспоминаний о старом лесе который был уничтожен сотни лет тому назад. Наша цель - это дать им возможность увидеть первоначальный лес их земли. Многие из них слышат об устойчивой жизни в первый раз. Резиденты, студенты и добровольцы из Индии и со всего мира работают и живут в Sadhana Forest бесплатно.
Ключевые события (с создания Sadhana Forest, пять лет назад).
Посадка местных деревьев:
Мы посадили 150 видов растений тропического сухого вечнозелёного леса, что представляет собой более 18 200 растений. Мы их мульчируем и ухаживаем за ними.
Коэффициент выживаемости находиться между 80% и 90%; он не падает ниже 70% даже на самой деградированной почве.
Пополнение и сохранение уровня грунтовых вод:
Были выкопаны более семи километров канав и построены восемь земляных платин, которые вместе дают возможность накапливать более 30 000 кубических метров дождевой воды.
В результате большого усилия, уровень подземных вод повысился на шесть метров и достиг глубины шести футов (1 фут = 30,48 см).
Программа поддержки и обучение:
Между нами и соседними сельскими жителями установились тёплые дружеские отношения. Мы работаем вместе с целью восстановления и предохранения нашего региона. Местные жители, в особенности дети, посещают нашу программу очень часто. Мы радушно принимаем каждого посетителя и объясняем ему важность этого проекта для окружающей среды.
Более 1 500 добровольцев, резидентов и студентов со всей индии и со всего мира проживали и работали в Sadhana Forest в течение двух недель или двух лет. Убежище в Sadhana Forest всегда бесплатно.
Раз или два раза в неделю, более 50 детей заботяться о посаженных ими деревьяx.
Двадцать семинаров на тему экологической жизни были проведены в рамках зимней студенческой программы города Аровиль. В общем, более 600 человек приняли участие в этих семинарах: http://www.auroville.info/WISP/17_aviram.htm
В марте 2006 года прошел второй фестиваль индийского леса Van Utsav которого посетили более 100 человек: http://www.auroville.org/journals&media/avtoday/Avril_2006/sadhana_forest.htm
Участники обменивались важными и актуальными сведениями и опытом.
Группа студентов из университета штата Плимут, Нью-Хэмпшир, посетили Sadhana Forest вместе с их профессором в январе 2008 года и их впечатления описанны по адресу : http://www.plymouth.edu/magazine/2008/spring/sustainability.html
Более четырёх тысяч людей посетили Sadhana Forest и ознакомились с нашей работой.
В июне 2008 года мы основали клуб эко-фильм. Каждую пятницу мы принимаем от 20 до 80 гостей на показ фильма об окружающей среде и о проекте, а также чтобы разделить с ними бесплатный вегетарианный обед.
Устойчивая инфраструктура:
Установление устойчивой инфраструктуры позволяет нам принимать местных и иностранных добровольцев.
Все строения построены из местных естественных материалов. Были установленны солнечная система и система сточных вод. Водная инфраструктура позволяет поливать 30% земли.
Контакт:
Yorit and Aviram Rozin
Sadhana Forest
Auroville
605101
India
Электронная почта: sadhanaforest@auroville.org.in
Тел: 0091 413 267 7682/3
Покидая нас, один из добровольцев написал: «это было бы хорошо, если было бы намного больше лесов, которые выращивали бы людей».
Онлайное денежное пожертвование:
Пишите пожалуйста Мартину на адрес: aviuk@auroville.org.in и пошлите копию на адрес sadhanaforest@auroville.org.in (копия важна для того чтобы Sadhana Forest была уверенна в получении пожертвований)
http://www.aviuk.org/donate.htm
Свяжитесь с Авирам по адресу http://www.aviuk.org/fundraising.htm если хотите получить информацию о курсах обучения в Sadhana Forest.
On October 2nd we hosted 40 children from Sahyedri School Pune and next Friday October 31st are going to host children from the Poorna Learning Centre, Bangalore. The reactions were very positive. The kids were all from urban environment and were surprised and excited about living the way we do at Sadhana Forest and about the trees.
A group of 9 kids and 4 teachers from a Korean travelling free school will stay with us for a period starting this Tuesday October 26.
We are commited to accept anyone who wants to volunteer here. In order to keep this commitment we need to build the required accommodation, and facilities.
Sadhana Forest's most urgent financial needs are:
The need is to convert the outdoor dining hall into a dormitory in order to replace the old dormitory tent that finally surrendered to the wind and rain.
The cost of this will be roughly 50,000 Indian Rupees (1,000 US$, 900 euros, 630 UK pounds).
Another urgent need is to finish the flooring of the new main hut.
The cost will be around 100,000 Indian Rupees On October 2nd we hosted 40 children from Sahyedri School Pune and next Friday October 31st are going to host children from the Poorna Learning Centre, Bangalore. The reactions were very positive. The kids were all from urban environment and were surprised and excited about living the way we do at Sadhana Forest and about the trees.
A group of 9 kids and 4 teachers from a Korean travelling free school will stay with us for a period starting this Tuesday October 26.
We are commited to accept anyone who wants to volunteer here. In order to keep this commitment we need to build the required accommodation, and facilities.
Sadhana Forest's most urgent financial needs are:
The need is to convert the outdoor dining hall into a dormitory in order to replace the old dormitory tent that finally surrendered to the wind and rain.
The cost of this will be roughly 50,000 Indian Rupees (2,000 US$, 1,800 euros, 1,260 UK pounds).
In the last 2 months we have received donations amounting to 800 US Dollars (500 UK pounds, 630 euros), more than half of that coming through your facebook donations. Thank you for that.
My health is much better and I want to thank all of you for all the love and care that you expressed and the countless emails and phone calls. It is so heartwarming to feel that I have such a great loving family out there!!!
Aviram
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9th June 2009
As you may know, we are about to run a course, now fully booked, for a carefully selected group of present and former volunteers, to learn all the aspects of running a project such as Sadhana Forest. They will learn everything we can teach them about how to set up and maintain a project such as this. They will then be in a position, if they so wish, to create further new forests à la Sadhana Forest.
This is a very exciting new venture for us, and we hope it will be successful, not only in itself, for the students and us, but as a model.
In the process of living here and learning, these students will be doing a lot of work that will greatly help us keep the project going forward as well, possibly, as in creative, new directions.
In line with our philosophy, we are not charging any of the participants anything more than their meal expenses for this course. This means we need a lot of extra money to cover the cost. If you feel able to make a donation to help cover this, we would be very grateful; if not, we appreciate your continued interest and support for what we are trying to achieve here.
http://www.sadhanaforest.org/
