At a casual glance, this tree house might pass off as a chic abode built over a  tree  to exclusively cater to adventure tourism. However on a closer look, you will be surprised to note that it is an outdoor study room built for the  students of Ananda Narayana Memorial Aided Upper Primary School at  Krishnagiri in Wayanad. Built using locally available materials like bamboo and hay, this cosy hut has a floor area of 100-sq.-ft and is perched  over 50 ft. above the ground. The school kids have given endearing names for their pet project. Some call it ‘Dream Nest’ while others prefer to call it by a more reverie name like the ‘ Palace in the sky . A brain child of the innovative students of this nondescript school, the idea evolved after an enlightening study tour last year to the Kuruva islands, where they were bowled over by the timeless charm of huge trees.

The resources were pooled in from various sources like the Pupils-Parents-Teacher’s Association (PPTA) and the  Self Help Group (SHG) of the students of the school apart from others to make this dream come true. After investing a capital of around Rs. 40,000 and two  months of labour, the tree house was born, much to the delight of the villagers as a whole. The tree hut is being used as an  open classroom for group activities.  The tree house features many useful tourist information like the places of tourist interests in the district and maps and drawings of students, which are neatly arranged. Students take rest on comfortable cotton quilts during recess and learn new things from nature almost always.

Now the school is planning to let it out to tourists and an attached bathroom is also being constructed for this purpose. We all can take a cue from this innovative venture and return to nature to  enjoy life at its fullest.  Striking a subtle balance with nature and its living beings is what holds the key to success in any civilised society. Cocooning ourselves in the ivory towers of fame and money will not bring any lasting solution to the vexed problems dogging the modern world.