Hello! We are not your ordinary hosts, please read our profile thoroughly if you would like to visit. And please only request to stay with us if you're looking to help us with our reforestation and community work!

My family and I are the founders of Sadhana Forest, a reforestation, water conservation, and sustainable living community in Auroville, right next to Pondicherry. Anyone can come and volunteer with us at any time and help with water conservation, reforestation and maintenance work. Volunteers stay with us on our off-the-grid, solar-powered, zero-waste campus in traditional huts made of local, natural materials.

Our main project is the reforestation of 70 acres of severely eroded land. We are working to re-create the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest indigenous to our area. 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 (over 1000 species of trees, shrubbery and liana). The Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest is now close to total extinction as only 0.01% survives. This is a last moment effort to keep this very rich and beautiful forest on earth. As part of our reforestation effort we are also working on water conservation and soil management.

Our projects include the work with local children, hosting many groups of people interested in conservation, the UniverCity of Compassion and an animal sanctuary where we care for rescued animals.
We practice an eco-friendly way of life including veganism, alternative construction, solar energy, biodegradable toiletries, and compost toilets.

Volunteers mainly plant, mulch, and water trees during the season, work on water conservation in the forest and around the community, cook, clean, maintain the community area, and spend time with local and community kids.

Accommodation for volunteers is in exchange for a 25-35 hours work week. This is a nonprofit ecological project that does not generate any income. Therefore, we cannot provide free food for volunteers. We have communal vegan organic meals. We all equally share the cost of the organic food ingredients we purchase. The total cost of food per person (including 3 meals a day) is 600 Indian Rupees per day (just under $9 USD).

This is a 100% vegan environment, so we ask volunteers not to bring or eat any non-vegan food in the forest. A vegan is a person who does not consume any animal products as food. Vegans do not eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy (milk) products, honey, or any other animal products. As vegans we aim to reduce animal suffering, move towards a more sustainable and rational use of land resources, and reduce the high level of “greenhouse gases” produced by vast numbers of farm animals.

We warmly welcome volunteers any time of the year, and always have available space for them. We are fully committed to accepting everyone who wishes to volunteer here and help us create the forest. Please plan your trip so that you arrive on any day between 9 am and 5 pm.

Volunteers should not smoke cigarettes, use drugs, or drink alcohol during the entire time of their stay. Only come when this is a realistic lifestyle for you.

Looking forward to welcoming you!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
Anyone who wants is welcome to come visit us to learn about sustainable living and planting trees.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I was a member of both WWOOF and Sevas... woofing in Thailand and visiting Seva hosts in India.

Interests

• vegan
• animal care
• ecology
• forestry
• volunteering
• wwoof
• unschooling
• permaculture
• water
• sustainable living
• nature conservation
• gift economy
• non-formal education

Music, Movies, and Books

The Continuum Concept - Jean Liedloff

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Reforested 70 acres of severely eroded land in Auroville, South India.

Teach, Learn, Share

There are daily workshops offered that are run by our volunteers and vary each week and can be anything from yoga, to Caporeia, to non-violent communication, to arts and crafts, and much much more!

Countries I’ve Visited

Haiti, Kenya

•