Sadhana Community Casts its Seeds Across the Seas

Spotlight on Sadhana Forest Haiti

Sadhana Forest Haiti (in Anse a Pitre) was started in reaction to the devastation caused by the January 2010 earthquake. It is a daughter project to Sadhana Forest in Auroville and shares the same values and commitment to human unity. The focus of Sadhana Forest Haiti is water conservation, indigenous re-forestation, organic food growth and the development of ongoing projects to support the needs of the local community in an environmentally sustainable way. Sadhana Forest Haiti practices an eco-friendly way of life including veganism, organic foods, alternative construction, biodegradable toiletries, compost toilets and solar energy. In July 2011, Sadhana Forest Haiti constructed a nursery for 50,000 trees and is now growing indigenous food-bearing trees to establish a large food forest. To know more about Living Routes' program at Sadhana Forest, India visit us here.

FEA Scholarship Application Open

Please spread the word!

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is pleased to announce that the application for the 2012-2013 academic year and 2013 summer scholarships is now open!

Applications can be accessed via their website here

FEA scholarships were designed by professionals in the field of Education Abroad to meet the growing need for financial resources to enable more students to go abroad. Scholarships will be up to $5,000 per semester and are not limited to specific programs, destinations, or fields of study.

FEA will award funds for students planning to study abroad on academically rigorous programs with a preference for underrepresented students. The deadline for FEA scholarship applications is November 14, 2011. A list of frequently asked questions can be found here.

Tropical Ecology, Development and Social Justice at Monteverde

Living Routes’ Tropical Ecology, Development and Social Justice at Monteverde program started with our participants safely landing in San Jose on the evening of August 27th. Faculty and participants visited several sites around Costa Rica before heading to the host site of Monteverde. The first week of the program, participants stayed together at Monteverde Institute with faculty conducting orientations and helping the participants adjust to life in Costa Rica. Participants then move to their home-stays in San Luis the second week of the program (the change in the adjustment period came directly from last semesters’ student feedback)! Other highlights of the program include visits to various fair-trade farms in and around Monteverde and a week-long trip through southern CR to the coast of Panama where students will get the chance to study under-water ecology. Follow this exciting program and our participants’ travels through our student blogs.

India Program Update:

Integral Sustainability at Auroville

Living Routes’ Integral Sustainability at Auroville program began on September 5th, with participants landing late in the evening of the 4th. Participants are living in the Verite community, located in a quiet, forest environment near the Matrimandir and Kottakarai village. Verite is proud to model various sustainable living practices including solar for electricity, biogas and solar cooking, windmill for water pumping, appropriate technologies of compressed earth blocks and ferrocement for building, biological wastewater treatment, and rainwater catchment. There is organic food in the communities’ garden and the orchard. Follow participants exploration of the exciting community and program progress through our student blogs.

Sustainability Education

From the Directors Blog

A Personal History of Sustainability in Study Abroad
Executive Director - Daniel Greenberg

Sustainability initiatives have been blossoming in the field of education abroad over the last three years. Instead of dryly outlining these events, I will use my blogger’s prerogative and put them in the context of my personal journey. I am proud to have become a player in this arena, but as you will see, my involvement happened rather serendipitously and many others have helped move these initiatives forward.

For me, it began in 1992, when my wife, Monique, and I were living at Findhorn...

Read more...

Student Blogs

Our students say it best...

Design Design Design!
(USA Permaculture Design at Sirius) by Arielle Miwa Oseki Robbins
(a photo-blog entry)

Everything came together yesterday for me and my design group. I started the day a bit nervous as to how we were going to be ready to present our design for the farmhouse site by this morning. And I went to sleep feeling proud of what we had accomplished as a group and excited to present the next day...

Read more at our Permaculture program blog

Spaces Still Available!

Still considering going abroad or know someone who is curious as to what is out there? Here is a list of our programs that still have space to apply!

• India: Winter 2011
• Costa Rica: Spring 2012
• India: Spring 2012
• Scotland: Fall 2012

Question of the Month:

What do you think could be the most effective way for LR to fundraise in the next year?

Results from last month's survey:

Overwhelmingly the response to the best way to bring “worldview” into a semester long USA program was to open a semester USA program to students from our partner sites (Australia, Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico, Peru, Scotland, Costa Rica).

This month's question:

We, at Living Routes, have received a lot of feedback regarding fundraising, both to increase scholarships for American students as well as for students from our partner sites to attend LR programs. What do you think could be the most effective way for LR to fundraise in the next year?

• Through the Annual Appeal
• Through improving the donation page on our website
• Through engaging local businesses to sponsor a student
• Through a focus on trying to obtain fewer, larger donations from affluent community members
• Other...

Amherst Community Event

NACF'S 6th Annual Harvest Festival
Sunday September 18th Simple Gifts Farm will be hosting the NACF's 6th annual Harvest Festival from noon to 6:30 pm rain or shine. Support local farmers with this fun family and community event!

Don’t Forget the Farmers’ Market!
Even with fall fast approaching, the Amherst Farmers’ Market still has plenty of fruits vegetables, breads & pastries, cheeses, maple syrup, eggs, herbs and a lot more. The market will continue every Saturday from 7:30am to 1:30pm up until November 19th.

Greater Boston Slow Money
Entrepreneur Showcase – September 22nd
This event brings together investors, sustainable food entrepreneurs and leaders working together to rebuild our local food system. Learn about investment opportunities and how you can participate in rebuilding local economies based on the principles of soil fertility, sense of place, care of the commons and economic, cultural and biological diversity.

Moe's Monthly Funny

Jacky's Recipe of the Month

Moros y Cristianos (Moors & Christians)

A traditional Cuban dish featuring black beans (which symbolize the Moors) and white rice (the Christians). Adapted from a recipe from the Bean Education and Awareness Network.

2 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 T chopped garlic

sauté about 5 minutes, then add:

1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf

cook 1 minute more, then add:

1 4oz can fire-roasted, diced, green chiles
1 cup uncooked rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (or 16 oz jar of salsa!)
2 cups water
1 T. apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer , covered, until rice is tender (about 0 minutes.
Let stand, covered 5 minutes.

(I like to add ½ cup chopped, smoked choizo or andouille sausage while sauting vegetables. Top with parmesan cheese)
(Photo taken from: http://www.mccormick.com/)