Author Archives: Irfana

Tree list

We are aiming for 100 each of the following, through a combination of our own seedlings, cuttings, purchases, and gifts: Semal Jamun Laung (clove) Arjun Sal Sagwan (teak) Kanak Champa Indian coral Mahua Shirish Gulmohur Amaltas Mango Imli Kadamba Almond Nutmeg (and mace) Bay leaf Shisham Anjan Subabul Neem Kachnar Ashok Palash Gonj Bakain MaulshreeContinue reading “Tree list”

Summer Solstice

Sol = sun, sistere = to hold still. The day when Surya devata or the Sun God shines closest, longest, brightest in the Northern Hemisphere. It may be a great day for the sun in universal terms, but here, in our villages of Betawar-Chhitauni, the sun has not been glimpsed for days and is notContinue reading “Summer Solstice”

One day in the season of rain

Our work continues in the gaps between the thunderstorms. Below: preparing the nursery for rice last week and the rice emerging; children inspecting mushrooms and earthworms while Rumi snoozes in the brief moments of sunshine. Semal plants emerge after a long hibernation and the seed office is inspected by the dogs as new seeds areContinue reading “One day in the season of rain”

“Where’s the loo?”

“This is not the tale of how we always had to strategise before planning to spend the day, or half the day, on our new up-coming forest retreat, “Ganga Van.” The multi-acre campus had no bathroom. It did have an “office block,” with a good-sized room set up as an office, an unfinished bathroom andContinue reading ““Where’s the loo?””

First trenches done!

We managed to hold off the rain till last night (!), and started filling the trenches yesterday. Twelve are done, and what beauties they are! They all have a mix of soil, cowdung, straw, and leaves. They are porous and feel rich and ready to welcome new life. It finally rained last night, so thatContinue reading “First trenches done!”

Whut?!

But….why?? Rain? Now?? Seriously??! We are literally waiting for the sun. We have been getting tractors and tractors of aged cowdung, and picking up piles and piles of leaves, and have bought quintals and quintals of straw. We have enough to start filling the trenches with a mixture of mud, straw, leaves, and compost, andContinue reading “Whut?!”

Hello, babies!

The two things we have been working on for the past few days are seeds and trenches. Re: the latter, we are in the process of buying and gathering together massive amounts of straw, leaves, and cowdung, and trying to distribute them in piles all around our site. It’s a lot of manual labour, andContinue reading “Hello, babies!”

Seeds and cuttings!

We have started working on our seedlings. We will be able to afford to buy about 2000 plants from the nursery. Those will be our specialty fruit/nut/spice trees and trees that aren’t available easily in the vicinity. But all the others – over 4000 – will have to be added over the monsoon and followingContinue reading “Seeds and cuttings!”

More rain?!

There is no cyclone now, and my weather app shows sun. Then why this sudden downpour? All work has stopped again. The women who came to cut grass are sheltering in the office and snacking. The mud is squelchy and eager to trap anyone or anything who dares set foot on it. Yesterday was theContinue reading “More rain?!”