Overview

Leave behind the Western, competitive and consumerist lifestyle and learn what it is like to live well, more lightly and more sustainably at Sadhana Forest. Dedicated to veganism, appropriate technologies and simple living, the community works to regenerate the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest near Auroville, India. Sadhana is an ideal environment to learn to measure and reduce your Carbon Footprint and contribute to indigenous seed and tree planting, contour bunding, organic gardening, natural fence building, and compost and soil management with Effective Microorganisms (EM).

Come prepared to wake early, work hard, live simply, learn a lot, and leave inspired. Both theory and practice of ecological living and habitat regeneration will be emphasized along with community building and personal development. There are countless opportunities for mentorship and learning practical strategies for living in a post Peak-Oil world.

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Highlights
	Learn about conservation forestry through hands-on projects that make a difference
	Engage with committed professionals in the field of sustainability
	Participate in a lively community focusing on simple living and ecological restoration
	Visit people and projects within Auroville, one of the world’s leading ecovillages
	Experience a sacred grove forest with indigenous Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest species

Sadhana Forest
The mission of Sadhana Forest is the reforestation of 70 Acres of severely eroded Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest in Tamil Nadu, India. This forest type is found only in South India and Sri Lanka (only 0.01% of the original habitat remains) and provides rare biological richness due to its very high species abundance. The Sadhana Forest community, founded in 2003 by an Israeli couple, Aviram and Yorit Rozin, pumps water by hand, prepares vegan meals, powers itself via solar, and is comprised of simple thatched huts (built by community members) and a beautiful natural swimming hole. This is an experience of what Auroville was like 30 years ago during its pioneering days! Sadhana, a new community of Auroville, enjoys strong community spirit and excellent and cooperative relationships with its local Tamil neighbors.

Sadhana Forest
Located on an earlier site chosen by the Mother for Auroville - a 70 acre area of land west of the Pondicherry- Tindivanam road - Sadhana Forest, although named as such, is not yet a fully-fledged forest, though it is on the way to becoming one.

Although the land has been Auroville's throughout most of Auroville's history, it was only when Israeli-born Aurovilians Aviram and his wife Yorit were given stewardship and settled there with their daughter in December 2003 that things really started happening, though there had been a tree planting programme earlier on parts of the land.

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Course Topics
	Sustainable living including: compost toilets, solar energy, building design, use of chemical-free products and organic farming
	The Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest and its vital environmental, social, cultural, and economic role in environmental sustainability
	The role of humans in nature preservation and protection, and the impact of our ecological footprint.
	Community and personal responses to Peak Oil and climate change
	Water conservation; Soil erosion control; Sustainable forestry

Academic Credit
Earn 4 transferable credits through the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Course: Natural Resources Conservation (course # TBD)

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