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Commenced:
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01/12/2003 |
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Submitted:
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15/12/2011 |
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Last updated:
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07/10/2015 |
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Location:
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Auroville, Tamil Nadu, IN |
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Phone:
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00-91-413-2902655 |
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Website:
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http://sadhanaforest.org/ |
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Climate zone:
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Dry Tropical |
The vision of its founders, Yorit and Aviram Rozin, is to transform 70 acres of severely eroded, arid land on the outskirts of Auroville. In a spirit of human unity, their aim is to introduce a growing number of people to sustainable living and veganism. Our energy and resources are focused on the creation of a vibrant, indigenous Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF).
Click here for a brief video on the vision and work of Sadhana Forest
Indigenous Tree Planting:
We planted more than 25,500 Tropical Dry
Evergreen Forest plants of 160 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 20 kilometers of trenches have been dug and eight earth dams
have been built, altogether storing more than 50,000 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 3,000 volunteers, interns, and students from India and around the world have lived and worked in Sadhana Forest for periods of 2 weeks to 36 months. Accommodation in Sadhana Forest is always free.
Thousands of children from the surrounding villages and from Auroville have planted TDEF trees. Over 200 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 four 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 50-550 guests for a free environment film screen, tour of the project, and free vegan dinner.
On December 27th, 2009 Sadhana Forest started a project called Children's Land. This 2.7 acre project is meant to involve local people in the world of sustainability in a way that empowers them to be creative and think independently. In Children's Land the children are initiating the different activities or joining them as they please. The feedback we are getting from the children, their parents and their teachers is excellent and encourages us to continue and enlarge this project. sadhanaforest.org/wp/category/projects/childrens-land/
On April 8th 2010 we started Sadhana Forest Haiti, a daughter community of Sadhana Forest India. Our aim in Haiti is to create a huge food forest with local and international volunteers, to provide nutrition to the town of Anse-a-Pitre in the south eastern corner of Haiti. This is one of the poorest communities in the world, and we feel inspired to create a long-term sustainable solution for their acute challenges.
Sadhana Forest won the third place in the Humanitarian Water and Food Award (WAF) 2010. The ceremony took place in the Marble Hall of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 25th, 2010. Shri Ashok Kumar Attri the Ambassador of India to Denmark honored Sadhana Forest by attending the ceremony. This award is an international recognition of the quality of the ecological and humanitarian work done by Sadhana Forest in India and Haiti.
Sustainable Infrastructure:
Sustainable infrastructure was installed that can host local and international volunteers.
All structures are built from local natural materials. A 5,000 Watts
solar system, 16 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.
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New Permaculture Design Course coming up!
We are happy to announce that we will be able to host another Permaculture Design Course that will be running for 3 months beginning in May 2012! Embracing the vision of gift economy, this course will be free of charge, just as our previous PDCs at Sadhan
Sadhana Forest’s appeal for Support after Cyclone
On Friday December 30, Cyclone Thane hit the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry with heavy rains and wind speeds of up to 135 kph (83 mph) and tidal surges of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). The cyclone hit the whole coast from Chennai down to Karaikal. Our
Auroville Radio on Sadhana Forest after cyclone
Here is Auroville Radio’s half hour Interview with volunteers of Sadhana Forest on the effects of the cyclone.
our 8th birthday is coming up…
Come and celebrate Sadhana Forest’s 8th birthday with an all-day festival of workshops and live performances!