TIST India - Chezhumai / February 2008
Chezhumai -
TIST India
The International Small Group &
Tree Planting Program
The luteraatlvnal Swall Group & Trow Planting Pregraw
TIST India: New No.52, Guru Ram Flats, Flat D, Venkat Ratnam Magar, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, Tamil Nadu, India
Phone : +91 44 42188438 { Mobile: +91 9840209822 / Email: josephrexonig@tist.org
TIST India - Chezhumai / February 2008
Weekly Meetings for TIST Small Groups
are Important
Meeting weekly is one of the best practices for TIST Small Groups. Weekly meetings enable Small
Group members to know each other better, to plan, and to help each other grow. Gathering weekly strengthens group members in many ways. Your Small Group members can encourage you, help you in difficulty and support you. The entire Small Group comes to know and share the talents that each person brings to the group. Small
Group members build up each member. Your Small Group weekly meeting is an important time to make plans about your nursery and your tree planting also. ltis a time to discuss best practices that will benefit other Small Groups as well as your own, After the weekly meeting, some group members can help each other in weeding or planting.
The Small Group Monthly Report forms your group has received are set up to report on one meeting pe week. When you give them to the coordinator at the monthly node meeting you will help TIST know what your groups is doing, how it is progressing, what you are learning that you can pass along to other group, and any questions you may have. Be sure to put any new idea or best practice your group has discovered on the Small Group Monthly Report so it can be included it in the Chezhumai. Other TIST Small Groups can benefit from your experience!
The Jatoraatlonal Small Group & Tree Planting Prodran
TIST India: New No.52, Guru Ram Flats, Fiat D, Venkat Ratnam Nagar, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, Tamil Nadu, India
Phone : +91 44 421884358 / Mobile: +31 9840289822 [ Email: josephrexon@tist.org
Node meeting
Mode is a place where members from 40 to 80 Small Groups meet once in a month. The Node meeting starts with a prayer by members. The members are trained on various activities of TIST Program and the 'Best Practices’ are shared among the members and new ‘Best Practices’ are created. It is an interactive useful one hour program for
the members.
Minimum two members from every Small Group should attend the Node meeting. The members should carry their SGMR note book without fail. The SGMR sheets should be filled in by the members during the weekly meeting and minimum four members should sign the SGMR.
Have a note of the Node meeting schedule and attend the meeting in time and fully.
New Small Groups from
Thiruthani
Thiruthani is in Thiruvallur District. TIST had five program introduction meetings in Kabur Kandigai near MNochili,Ponthalu Kandigai, Mosur Kandigai near VKR Puram and Pandravedu & Ramulu Kandigai near Pothaddurpettai at Thiruthani District during January 2008. Several villagers have shown interest in tree planting activities and they all have joined in the TIST Program as Small Groups. During January 2008, more than 30 Small Groups have been registered from Thiruthani area. The existing Small Groups are requested to introduce their friends/relatives from Thiruthani in TIST Program.
Placepalayam Center
Gengulugandigai Village is about 3 km away from Placepalayam. There are 15 Small Groups in this village. The members from this village are all interested in planting long standing trees like mango & teak. Several members, including women members participated in the Node meeting organized on 24th January 2008. They all learnt more on TIST Program during the meeting.
Useful Trees to Grow
The 'Pongam Tree’ is known as one of the richest and brightest trees of India. The tree is named as ‘Pongamia Pinnata” in science. The name ‘Pongamia’ has derived from the Tamil name, ‘Pinnata’ that refers to the pinnate leaves. The tree is a member of the ‘Leguminosae’ family. Its sub family is "Papilionaceae’. In Tamil, this is generally
known as "Ponga’, 'Dalkaramcha’, "Pongam’ and "Punku
In the months of March and April, the "Pongam Tree’ stands as painted in crimson colour for a week or so as the buds develop into wilted, new leaves and just after the leaves begin to grow mature, the tree attains a gorgeous glowing lime-green colour. At that time the whole tree looks fresher than most of the trees of the surrounding area. This is such a tremendous sight that you would prefer the most to see against the monotonous dustiness of the roads and fields. The "Pongam Tree’ is being cultivated in a large number of gardens and along countless
roads in India and is becoming one of the most admired City trees. It grows wild in the coastal forests throughout India and beside the streams and rivers.
The "Pongam Tree’ is a medium-sized tree that grows rapidly. It contains a rough and grey-brown bark. The new leaves develop and the flowers bloom in great numbers almost simultaneously in this tree. Though they are not striking, but the large amount of the short, pinkish sprays give to the attractive tree an additional charm. They remain half hidden in the midst of the leaves. The blooms are 1.3 cm in length and they mass along the ends of the long stems.These stems rise from the upper angle of the leaves.The flowers have a minute stem. They are loose and brown in colour and also bear a calyx that is shaped as cups. There are five white petals as well that are traced with pink or violet colour. Amongst them, the largest standard petal covers the other four petals that remain folded together. The flowers cover the ground with thousands of little white balls when they fall down just before they wither. The fruits of the ‘Pongam Tree’ are some timber-like pods that grow about 5 cm in length. They are dark grey in colour and get matured just before the next lot of new leaves appears.
The nature has made sure that the distribution of the species is justified. Each of the seeds of this tree is covered with a strong raft. The raft looks like a rubber ship. The ground underneath the tree always remains covered with a crackling carpet. The leaves of the "Pongam Tree’ have five, seven or nine oval-shaped leaflets that have pointed tips. The leaves are around 15 cm to 30 cm in length and each of the leaflets is short stalked. The leaf stems and the flower stems are normally puffy at their base. The "Pongam Tree’ usually lopes to make sure a good, straight bole and people give these loppings to the cattle. However, they more often plough them into rice-fields as fertilizer, The well-decomposed flowers of the tree are used by the gardeners to strengthen the plants that require rich feeding.
A red oil obtained from the seeds of the ‘'Pongam Tree’ can be used in embrocating the skin diseases. People
apply the juice of the roots to sores and also use to clean the teeth. The reason behind this is that, the juice contains some antiseptic qualities. The timber of this tree is yellowish white in colour and quite hard and rude. Though itis not that easy to work upon, but still people use this to make cartwheels and posts. It is used for fuel as
well.
Sarmila Small
Tindivanam Center Group of
This Small Group is following the best practice of TIST Program in Asthinapuram Village at Tindivanam Center. This group has dedicated two groves for trees. In one grove they have planted Cotton Trees, which covers an area of one acre and in the other grove Teak Trees are planted in an area of 2 acres. The Teak seedlings were kept in the polythene bags for a long time period and once the seedlings reached the height of 5 feet, the members have transplanted the seedlings. Since the seedlings were in good height during transplanting, there are no casualties after transplanting. There are 1384 trees with this group.
The Teak Trees were planted along with Bitter Gourd, a climbing plant. The Teak Trees have grown well with the help of little water supplied for the bitter gourd. The members have reaped a good yield from the
bitter gourd.
The two best practice which the members of this Small Group have followed is (1) having the cotton seedlings in the polythene bags for long time to grow the seedlings to a good height, so that, after transplanting the trees have good strength to withstand the heat, (2) doing intercropping in between the trees, while the trees are in the early stage.
Bitter Gourd
Bitter Gourd can also be cultivated as intercropping while the trees are in the early stage. Bitter Gourd, native to
tropical Africa, however today can be found in all tropical regions of the world. The dicecious flowers are yellow and the fruits are oblong and lumpy with a light green to greenish- white, waxy skin. In some countries, mainly in India the fruit is cooked and eaten. The fruit is edible when harvested green and cooked. The taste is bitter. Bitter gourd has twice the potassium of bananas and is also rich in vitamin A and C. Used to purify the blood, reduce blood sugar levels and to fight gastrointestinal problems.
Selvi Small Group of Tindivanam
Center
This Small Group is following the best practice of TIST Program in Asthinapuram Village at Tindivanam Center. This group has dedicated two groves for trees. In both the groves, in an area of one acre, the members have planted Teak Trees. This group has also done intercropping. Chilly is planted in between the trees. The Teak Trees have
grown well with the help of little water supplied for chilly plants. During the last quantification which was carried out on 24th January 2008, there 911 teak trees with this group. The members are planning to plantfew more trees
shortly.
What does he plant?
He plants the friends of Sun and Sky He plants the flag of Breeze (free) The shaft of beauty towering high. Small Group members celebrating the “Pongal Festival”
Tho International Small Group & Tres Planting Program
TIST India: New No.52, Guru Ram Flats, Flat D, Venkat Ratnam Nagar, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, Tamil Nadu, India
Phone : +91 44 42188438 / Mobile: +31 9840299822 / Email: josephrexon@tist.org