Siddhartha Forest
Siddhartha Forest started on a plot of 12 acres at the beginning of 1998. Siddhartha Forest has an established woodland that provides seeds for various communities, both within Auroville and outside enterprises. It is used by many as a Seed Bank as it has a large variety of trees and many rare species. The Auroville Botanical Garden and other Auroville forest communities visit Siddhartha Forest in order to collect tree seeds at least twice a year.
Acreage: 12 acres | Steward: Boobalan
Stewardship of the land has changed hands several times since 1998, but the focus has remained on reforestation and water conservation. In its early days, many water catchment areas were dug, around 20 smaller ponds, plus a bigger dam was completed through the help of Kireet: an Aurovilian expert on water conservation.
Boobalan, the present steward, came to Siddhartha Forest as a youth from Edayanchavadi, the neighbouring village. As a 13-year-old he enjoyed planting trees, learning everything he could about forestry, as well as learning English, and interacting with the diverse cultural background of the people staying in the community. Boobalan has been steward since 2014.
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