A very quick “hello!” from us today to share the progress of the geo-dome which is slowly forming into the intended end result. It will be an open space for daytime activities, including workshops, and in the evening, it will act as a dormitory for volunteers and guests.
Because of the amount of different activities going on simultaneously at the farm, for example, finishing the farmhouse, toilet blocks and keeping the farm running, it has meant that some projects have made better headway than others. It is now time to get the geo-dome up and running.
We have managed to get hold of recycled cream sheeting to be used on the exterior, allowing light to pass through for the purpose of keeping seedlings in there in the day, whilst providing sturdy shelter for guests to sleep in at night. Unfortunately… we have not managed to acquire the stones needed for the flooring. Originally, the floor was going to made from a rammed mud technique, use coconut chippings, but after a reevaluation of the area and local species, the question of termites was raised. Termites are a common insect in the area and known for their destructive abilities. We felt the coconut flooring would have been a real termite attraction, so we decided to replicate the flooring of the farmhouse – a mural of naturally occurring flagstones, filled with stone chipping to smooth the surface. It can be found in our older post here.
If you have been following our progress from the beginning, you may be wondering why everything is taking it’s time. In all honesty, it is not a lack of passion, nor ideas, but merely constraints on human and resource capital. Because we self-fund the whole project, relying on generous members of the public, and our own incomes, there is only so much to go around. But if you stick by us, keep checking in from time to time, and have confidence, we ensure, in due time, you will not be disappointed with the end result. Also, we just wanted to mention again that this project is a big learning curve for us all, so we are always welcoming input – if you realise you may know a better way of doing something, have a skill you want to come and share with us, or simply just want to get involved in a way that suits you, just send us an email and we would love to spend the time.
Before we say our “goodbyes”, we would like to introduce you to a school that we are being blessed with a visit from in October. The school is called Habana and is based in South Korea. The values of the school put great emphasis on creative and expressionist learning alongside integrated cultural education, which is why for many years the older students have been given the opportunity to travel around the world learning different skills and exploring varied cultures. They are an inspiring school to be visited by, not only because of the amazing students themselves, but also, the skills and talents they bring with them to share with the world. Luckily enough, we were visiting Sadhana Forest, in Auroville, at the same time as their stay their and we were able to catch one of their performances. In 2016, Auroville danced the night away!
We stopped recording at that point to go and join the fun!
Thanks for checking in, we appreciate all of the support. Wishing you a wonderful September wherever you are in the world!
Aranya Eco Village 