Lasy night we toured the Sadhana Forest which is an attempt to accomplish two big objectives. The first is to plant trees in an area that had become barren. They have been quite successful in the past several years. They now manage about 170 acres. The program is led by a former Israeli who I believe is called Avraham.
They have also managed to introduce water conservation within the area. Thus, they have improved the ater table significantly and are able to store water within the ground.
They live quite spartanly. They are in a dormitory arrangement with virtually no privacy from each other. They are very energy efficient using solar power, generating power throgh stationary bikes and using ovens surrounded by heat saving bricks. It is a real "kibbutz" style place with children roaming and people acting as a group of parents.
They live in open grass and bamboo construction. This is a very basic lifestyle that creates a great deal of turnover in all but the most dedicated. There are some who have stayed for a few years but the vast majority are transient youth. Given this, it has been truly amazing what has been accomplished. A barren landscape is now a small forest with ample water supply. The power of a passionate man with an idea.
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