Boomers Abroad

Description

The Eco-development Project is a program funded by Projects Abroad, aimed at promoting sustainable farming and environmental conservation in and around South Indian villages.

Until recently, people in rural Tamil Nadu lived much the same way as their ancestors - farming the land with simple tools, collecting firewood from the forests and discarding their waste on any available land.

In the past this hadn't caused any great problems, but damage to the natural surroundings is now occurring because of the rapidly increasing population, the introduction of environmentally-damaging products (like plastics and chemical pesticides), and greater levels of trade demanding higher productivity. These changes - coupled with a lack of education and awareness of the problems - mean that farming in India is suffering considerably.

The Eco-development Project began in 2001 as a tree-planting exercise in a remote village at the foot of the Western Ghat Mountains. The project has expanded to include the promotion of many environmentally-friendly farming practices and environmental education initiatives.

At the heart of the Eco-Development Project is the Green Village Model Farm, a demonstration site for many of the sustainable practices that we promote as part of our environmental development goals.

Volunteers are totally responsible for the running and maintenance of the Green Village Model Farm site. Volunteers learn all about sustainable development and organic practices, including how to produce vermi-compost, a natural fertilizer produced from domestic and farm waste, made using earthworms. Villagers from the surrounding area visit the farm to learn about the different techniques and technologies that can benefit them. After working with villagers at the farm, our volunteers then assist them in implementing the ideas in their communities, such as introducing vermi-compost use at their farms. One local banana farmer has maintained his productivity in his first year of using our organic methods without the expense of fertilizers and pesticides.

Once every two weeks volunteers visit local markets to promote the idea of sustainable farming to local farmers. Environmental education programs are also conducted in local schools and orphanages promoting awareness of environmental and conservation issues. Visits to the farm by children and local farmers are encouraged and take place on a regular basis. We also visit local farms and education centers to promote environmental awareness as well as giving hands-on help.

There is also a large medicinal plants nursery where you can help to cultivate indigenous species that are used to treat a variety of common ailments. We are increasing the number of botanical species and introducing other endangered plants to the collection. We work closely with a local ayurvedic center and are looking to supply them with herbs in time.

The acquisition and recording of relevant information is an integral part of work at the Model Farm. You'll learn about the medicinal properties of plants and you'll use our manufacturing equipment, producing medicines that are distributed throughout the local community.

Volunteers also work in our bird and poultry unit which allows us to produce chicks and eggs, and in our small sustainable dairy unit.

As a Conservation volunteer in Tamil Nadu, you might spend time planting and looking after trees. We are replanting areas that have suffered deforestation in the past, using species carefully chosen to provide benefit to local communities. We plant trees alongside the roadsides as well as in the villages near the farm. We also go trekking into more remote forests in the Kombaipatty Hills which have suffered deforestation and plant native species using seed balls.

If you have a dissertation or research project you are interested in carrying out while on the project, the farm makes for a great resource and we will help you how we can. In the past volunteers have worked on water projects as well as environmental awareness campaigns.