News & Notes 880:Forest Group meeting – Aurodam 2 July 2021
Entity::Forest Group meeting – Aurodam 2 July 2021
Present: David (Aurodam), Manolo (Youth Centre/ Bliss Forest), Rita (Centrefield), Kannyappan, Fabian (both Pitchandikulam), Bernd, Matthieu, Andreanne (all Hermit¬age), Agnes (Darkali), Christoph (Anusuya/Bliss), Island (Espace), Hans, Vengatesh (both Abri), Aviram (Sadhana Forest), Dave (Silence), Natasha (Evergreen), D. Segar (Nidal), Noe (New Lands), Jan (Fertile Field), Giri (Fertile East), Sandeep (Fertile), Veronica (Gaia), Yuval (Eternity), Philippe (Kalpana), P. Elumalai (Bliss), Henrike, Isa (both Mango Field) .
Topics discussed:
Hermitage
Bernd introduced Andreanne and pro¬posed that she becomes co-steward of Hermitage for the next two years, after which she can take over as steward as he wishes to step down.
Andreanne and her partner Matthieu are already there and working on the land – Andreanne as an apprentice to Bernd. She is an Aurovilian since 2019 who grew up next to Hermitage and knows the land from her childhood; both are planning to stay in Arnold’s house.
Forest Group welcomes them as a strengthening of the community. Andreanne and Matthieu are asked to come to attend the meetings regularly and give updates. The Hermitage team is also asked to sort out the issues on the land, including the relationships between the community members.
Bernd also asks for a third watchman at Hermitage as he stewards about 70 acres and pressures on the borders are coming in from all sides. As the budget is reduced due to COVID and already distributed, it is agreed that whenever money is available it will be given to Bernd for this purpose.
The issue of a land dispute on the Hermitage border was discussed (once again). Recently a cowshed and other infrastructure have come up on land under litigation. Yuval informs that the Land Board is doing its best and the issue is still in Court.
Mango Field
Isa introduced Henrike as a suggested new member of Mango Field. Henrike is asking to convert the old seed room (built many years ago by Ed) and measuring around 9 x 4m into a simple living space for her.
Henrike has done green work in Auroville and is committed to the forest work at Mango Field and elsewhere. The Forest Group members present were happy to welcome her and her energy and have no objection to her becoming part of the Mango Field community and the Forest Group. It was also appreciated that instead of letting old structures fall apart, they get rather a new lease of life. Once the rest of the Forest Group approves (is not voicing objections), the Interim TDC will be informed about the change of purpose of this building. As there will be no change/extension of the existing foot print, it is felt that no official Building Application has to be filled.
Bliss Forest/Youth Centre
On Wednesday 30th June, the Interim TDC came with external surveyor Shaktivel. They asked to do a general topographic survey of the area. The stewards in communication with the larger Forest Group agreed to such a survey as it could be the first step toward a development plan involving all stakeholders.
The survey team started from CSR as a starting point and worked their way to Bliss. Once reaching Bliss/YC, it became clear that they were only marking 4 lines – the edges of a 16 m wide road with a 9m wide service corridor.
The stewards objected as this was not the general topographic survey agreed upon, but in fact only a marking of the RoW and as such not a qualified survey. Several members of the Forest Group, the Youth Centre and other concerned Aurovilians came to the location as silent presence. The surveyors left that day. All this is well documented on email.
The present Working Committee wrote to the stewards that one cannot object to a survey as the land is not private property. They themselves cannot stop the Interim TDC if they feel this work needs to be done. It is pointed out in the FG that this is a slippery slope – that would imply that TDC can do as it wishes without community process. Another concern is that after marking, it will be easy for TDC to is¬sue the work order without going through the community channels.
The stewards of this area have since replied in detail to the Working Committee explaining their understanding of a difference between a RoW marking and a survey and the importance of collaborative processes when planning Auroville. The Working Committee has not replied.
Also several representatives of the Forest Group and the Youth Centre have since met the Auroville Council to explain and discuss.
Forest Group and concerned Aurovilians will again re¬start the community-wide process on the larger topic of planning Auroville as was planned and announced during and after the General Meeting in March this year. There will be separate announcements on the next steps along with an open invitation to join this process.
Land Allocation in the Greenbelt
Jan (Fertile Field) brought up the topic of land allocation as several areas of land in the Greenbelt have been acquired. For all these, the Forest Group and the Green Group have followed their established process of allocation and forwarded these recommendations to the Interim TDC and FAMC for approval so that the work of securing and working on the land could start.
The Interim TDC has since many months not replied to these but will finally meet representatives of the Green Group to discuss and explain why they decided to not follow an overall agreed and well-established process. Meanwhile the stewards are advised to fence the land, especially as in the two recent cases the new plots are directly connected to existing forest communities.
Domink’s house in Espace
The process of finding an appropriate steward for Dominik’s house in Espace is still ongoing. Island circulated a document outlining the criteria for a new steward and Hans will write to the Housing Service to drive the process.
Seeds
David showed the forest meeting a packet of 1 kg of Dalbergia latifolia (Rosewood) seeds, which he had sourced from Kodaikanal. He said that it is unusual to harvest such a quantity of that type. He is going to germinate them and believes that the success rate of germination for this type of seeds is very high.
The next Forest Group meeting will be on Friday, 6th August at Infinity. As usual a forest walk prior to the meeting could be an option.