1 / TIST India - Chezhumai / February 2012
Our Chezhumai is given to the
Small Groups in bilingual format
(English and Tamil)
Visit of Mr. rein Difactor, Sustainability, Cognizant Technology Solutions to audit their 100,000 trees. Article on his
visit with pictures will feature in Chezhumai March 2012 issue. The International Small om& hi Sri Program. :
News to new small groups How to keep ground wet always? Nameplate for all groves
Node meeting
Maintaining log note book Benefits of vermiculture
TIST Tree Planting India Private Limited
Flat A, Plot No.69, Sankara Nagar, 26th Street
Pammal, Chennai 600075. Mobile: 9840299822
Email: josephrexon@tist.org / Visit us at www.tist.org
For colourful digital copy of Chezhumai visit www.tist.org or send a request mail to josephrexon@fist.org
News to new Small Groups
1. All the new Small Groups who were registered during the last three months should immediately sign the GHG
agreement. During the Node meeting contact your TIST Officer and get your GHG agreement form. Minimum four
members from a Small Group should sign the GHG agreement. More important is that, read the GHG agreement
and understand the information given in the agreement.
2. Every new Small Groups should get their SGMR book from the TIST Officer immediately. This book has empty SGMR forms for five years and in the first sheet, fill in all the details of your Small Group and get it signed by the
TIST Officer. This book should be kept safely; the same should be brought to the Node without fail.
3. All the new Small Groups should immediately open a bank account on their group name. The following should be done to open an account:
« |dentify two authorized signatories for your Group.
= Get three passport size photographs of both the authorized signatories
= Keep your SGMR book ready with all the required data's filled in the first page
Get an introduction letter from
TIST India
Once you have all the above four, contact your TIST Officer, they will guide and educate you to open your account. After opening an account, in the following Node meeting, mention your bank account number
in the SGMR without fail.
How to Keep the Ground Wet Always?
To keep the ground surrounding the tree wet round the clock, use the coconut fiber. Coconut fiber is very thick and it will not allow the direct sunlight to fall on the ground at the same time it blocks the heat wave to enter the ground. When the heat wave and the direct sunlight are blocked, then itis sure that the ground in that area will always be wet when compared to the other open land. If this method of using the coconut fiber is followed along with the drip irrigation, then it is sure that all the members can do wonders in their tree planting work. There will not be any causality even during peak summer.
Nameplate for Groves
TIST has been emphasizing to place a nameplate for every grove. The TIST Quantifier takes the photograph of every grove immediately after finishing the quantification. This photograph is taken through the palm top through
which grove data is collected, so that, the photographs may also gets synced and stored along with the grove data in the TIST Web Site.
Node Meeting
Node meeting is the backbone of our project. Every Small Group should take-up this meeting sincerely. The following should be adhered without fail:
1. Minimum two members from a Small Group should attend the Node meeting
2. There should be minimum one women member from every Small Group during the Node meeting
3. SGMR should not be filled during the Node. It should be done during the Small Groups internal meeting
4. Submit your SGMR without fail
5. Come forward and learn how to enter your SGMR details in the palmtop
6. Attend the Node meetingintime
7. Be attentive during the Node and get your queries cleared then and there.
Log Book Maintenance
Every Small Group should maintain a Log Book, wherein they should maintain all their details pertaining to TIST activities, like each families tree/seedling/grove details should be made a record on weekly / monthly basis. Minutes of their Small Groups meeting should be recorded. The Log Book should be brought to the Node Meeting along with their SGMR.
Benefits of Vermiculture
The earthworms play a vital role in the entire process; in ploughing and fertilizing the soil and providing all the needed nutrition to the plants. The earthworms have contributed to improve the soil structure, sail fertility, promote soil aggregation, encourage favorable soil reactions and enrich the nutrient status of the soil and in the process promoting the plant growth and improving the quality of the produce. Earthworms churn the soil and make it porous.They improve the soil by helping it achieve proper air, water and solids in the required ratio for maximum plant growth. Earthworms improve the water infiltration rate. Its maze of tunnels increases the soil's ability to absorb water. Earthworms bring up minerals and make plant nutrients more available. Earthworms also
neutralize soil pH. Analysis of earthworm castings or manure shows that the soil in the castings has neutral pH (7) regardless of whether the existing soil is above or below pH (7). Earthworms compost plant residues. Earthworms stimulate microbial population. Free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria are more numerous around the sides of the earthworm's burrows.