Bliss Forest is a dense 30 year-old patch of forest which excellently demonstrates the process of Ecological Succession, where the native evergreen canopy is by now dense enough so that pioneer species like the work tree (Acacia auriculiformis) hardly regenerate any longer.
The area started being planted with Tropical Dry Evergreen (TDEF) species in the early 90s. Prior to this the area had an established canopy of Worktree, Eucalyptus and various mixed forest species both native and exotic.

Nestled in the Bliss Forest lies the Youth Center. The symbiosis between the forested area of Bliss and the Youth Centre motivated and engaged many generations of Aurovilian youth in the activities of the forest. The youth help in seasonal planting and occasionally with maintenance work on the land; in this way they learn about the local fauna and flora, and various environmental activities..

Now the main work is the maintenance of the area: removal of dead work trees, fencing, seasonal tree planting and after-care, removal of thorny species etc.

A peculiarity of Bliss is its location. As one of the few forested areas on the highest point of the plateau, it plays an important role for water conservation. Two ravines initiate from Bliss Forest; one going into Darkali, the other to Kottakarai. It has very high soil percolation rates and aquifer recharge potential. Earth-bunds have been created and are maintained to prevent water runoff.

Another peculiarity of the location is that Bliss Forest is in the city area; this brings in a major challenge that the stewards have been facing throughout the years. The development of the city does not always take into consideration the ecological sensitivity of the areas, e.g. forested land, water-catchments etc. The stewards of Bliss Forest often had to deal with conflicting proposals for the development of the area, and their alternative proposals for the integration of Bliss Forest and Youth Center in the City area have so far not been considered. This has created tensions that are not easy to resolve.

An aspiration for the future is to find a way to successfully integrate Bliss Forest and the Youth Center into the steady development of the City area and in urban planning of Auroville in order to collaboratively achieve a harmonious design for the future city and create a valuable urban forest.