TIST
August 2005
Have you told your relatives/ friends in the neighboring village about TIST? Tell them; let them also enjoy the benefits from TIST.
CHEZHUMAI ©
TIST Encourages Small Groups to Plant Several Different Tree Species
Small Groups who have Casuarina or Eucalyptus grown in their groves are requested to start adding a minimum of 20% of other species particularly long term fruit yielding trees, citrus trees or other trees like Neem, Pungamia, Gulmohar, Cybarubha, Amla, Cashew etc. immediately. Next 3-4 months is definitely going to be better as the monsoon is expected to begin, make use of the season and bring up different species of trees, which will be highly appreciated and rewarding.
Upcoming Small Groups, please note, do not start your show with Casuarina or Eucalyptus alone. TIST does not encourage growing mono-species. If you still decide on these species, then the planting should be accompanied with at least a minimum of 20% of other species above mentioned and also an assurance of not cutting them down for at least a period of 10 years. Due care to be taken in spacing and should be not be less than 2.5 x 2.5 mtrs. and preferably 3 x 3 mtrs., which will also help you plan on inter cropping, an additional income to your group.
Why Rotating Leadership is required?
All the Small Groups of Chittoor are very active in attending the Node meetings. During the Node meetings at Chittoor, invariably, one or two Small Groups will not be ready with their SGMR. There are minimum eight members in every Small Group in Chittoor. All the individual Small Groups have only one leader for their Group. The members of the Small Groups depend on their one and only leader for preparing their SGMR, because only the leader knows all about their groves, seedlings, trees, etc. During the Node meeting, at least one or two Small Groups struggle to prepare their SGMR, because their one and only leader would have gone out of village for some personal reason. The other members who are unaware of their entire grove, seedlings and trees will not be able to give the SGMR during the Node meeting. If the Small Groups had followed the “Best Practice” of rotating leadership, they would have not struggled to fill in the SGMR in the absence of their leader, any other member of their Small Group would have easily filled in the SGMR.
It is not only with Chittoor, even in the other group centers Small Groups are not following the “Best Practice”, rotating leadership.
Follow all the “Best Practices” of TIST, have a rotating leadership and more important is to have meeting within the Small Groups and that too at least a day before the Node meeting, so that SGMR reports can be prepared in advance and you need not waste your time in writing the SGMR during the Node meeting and fail to understand what is happening in the Node meeting.
Greenhouse Gas Sales Agreement between TIST and Small Groups.
Trees planted by TIST Small Groups reduce carbon di-oxide from the air and store them in the trees. The equivalent Carbon di-oxide that has been removed from the air can be quantified as Greenhouse Gas credits. These credits may be bought by companies that cause carbon dioxide pollution as a penalty for causing that pollution. TIST (Subscide of CAAC / I4EI) is trying to find buyers to whom these credits can be sold. There is a lot of work involved in calculating the credits, then certifying them and then transferring them to a buyer and all of this work is done by Clean Air Action Corporation. To enable the sale of the GHG credits created by the Small Groups, TIST is requiring the Small Groups to sign a GHG agreement with Clean Air Action Corporation. This agreement lists the requirements from the Small Groups and also Clean Air Action Corporation’s obligations to the groups such as the regular voucher payments for the trees.
All Small Groups in TIST India will be required to sign this agreement before they can receive their next voucher payment. This agreement from the Small Groups is only to transfer the rights of GHG credits to Clean Air Action Corporation. For the later to do carbon trading while the Small Groups will still continue to own the trees, the land and the byproducts from the trees.
Kattiampandal - Uttrimerur
There are seven Small Groups at Kattiampandal Village. Out of the seven, four Small Groups are active in planting trees. The most important ‘Best Practice’ of this village is to have their voucher payment only after going through the GHG agreement and signing it.
Vadakoli Small Group
Vadakoli Small Group has 38714 casuarina trees planted in four different groves, i.e, Ravi, Manivel, Balaraman, and Umapathy. The trees in the groves of Ravi and Umapathy have grown more than 6 feet in height. Little more care is needed for the groves of Manivel and Balaraman. This small group has not taken any initiative to remove the weeds. Unless weeds are removed, quantification cannot be done perfectly.
Kummumodukalini Small Group
Kummumodukalini Small Group has 19525 casuarina trees in a single grove – Kumma1. The growth rate of casuarinas trees in this grove is not all that good. Regular watering and weeding is required to this Kuma1 grove.
Valluvankalini Small Group
Valluvankalini Small Group has 15660 casuarina trees in two different groves, i.e, Kannan and Sundaram. The trees in Kannan grove needs little more watering and weeding, whereas the Sundaram grove needs only weeding. The trees in the Sundaram grove have grown more than 6 feet in height and they are very health.
Mojamtookikalini Small Group
Mojamtookikalini Small Group has 3405 casuarina trees in two different groves, i.e, Mohan and Rajasekar2. It is so unfortunate that, 75% of their trees are eaten away by cattle. This Small Group was taking more care in removing the weeds and watering the groves, but they had been unsuccessful in having a watch over their groves from the cattle. Presently, in 75% of their trees only stem is seen.
Quantifier’s report on the Small Groups of Kattiampandal
During my visit to Kattiampandal village on 25th June 2005 for quantification, I found it very difficult to take the tree counts of the groves belonging to Vadakoli and Valluvankalini Small Groups, particularly Ravi, Umapathy and Sundaram groves. Already it is very difficult to pass through the groves because the casuarinas trees are planted very close and above it the weeds are also allowed to grow equally dense. There are no seedlings with any of the Small Groups. None of the groves have nameplate for their groves. On behalf of TIST, I request all the Small Groups of Kattiampandal to do the following:
1. Whenever the TIST Officials calls on your village for meeting/quantification, please go with your logbook, and make sure that TIST Official makes a remark and signs the logbook.
2. Start a nursery with different species.
3. Remove the weeds immediately and follow the same once in two months.
4. Erect a nameplate for every grove.
5. Sign the Greenhouse Gas Sales Agreement (GHG Agreement).
6. Do not fail to attend the Node meeting with representations from all families of your Small Group.
7. Have regular Small Group meetings with your Group members.
8. Plan for a general Notice board for TIST in your village immediately.
The above eight point should be followed by the entire Small Groups of TIST in India.
