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2011 Spring | Agriculture and Food Systems, Education & Outreach

Sustainable Watershed Management in Auroville, India

Student(s):

Heather Clopton

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Priya Vincent

Partner(s):

  • Auroville Botanical Gardens

  • Buddha Garden Community Farm

Faculty advisor(s):

Karen Litfin, Department of Political Science, University of Washington

I conducted my capstone project during a three-month study abroad program in Auroville, India. I worked at Buddha Garden Community Farm, learning about sustainable agriculture and its benefits. This helped me design signs for an environmental farm walk. By visiting different communities and organizations in Auroville, I learned about the land history and environmental issues specific to this region. I wanted to see if the farming and land management techniques in Auroville could be beneficial in other regions. The combination of hands-on work, immersion into the community, and scholarly research helped me discover a multi-disciplinary approach to these issues.