Magic Treehouse

Written by Maria Garcia

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of education in the Amazon forest? Young girls staying at home while their preteen brothers learn to hunt? Children traveling for an hour to get to school? Dropouts galore? A one-room school where all the children in a village study together regardless of their age?

While there is some truth in all these scenarios, things are fortunately changing for the better. Numerous non-profit organizations are donating school materials so that kids in the area can learn and forge a better future for themselves and their communities. However, perhaps the most innovative educational project in recent years has been the creation of a school treehouse: thirty-two meters high with breathtaking views over the forest canopy. It is perfect not only because students can learn in situ, but also because they have access to great technological resources: solar panels, the best internet in the area, a seed-planting robot, drones, and more.

Credit: Conapac

It took four months to build and thirty people working twelve-hour days, but now that it is finished, it is obvious it was worth the effort. Only sustainable wood was used to assemble it, utilizing naturally fallen trees, for example.

To reach the top, you need to climb up one hundred and forty-four steps. Once you have reached the treehouse, you will be able to see all kinds of animals and vegetation from your privileged vantage point. A dream come true and a universe of knowledge at your fingertips. You are probably wondering where this architectural marvel is. You can find it in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazonia. Madre de Dios is one of the few unspoiled regions of the Amazon rainforest where there still are ethnic groups that have no contact with the outside world. However, conservation efforts are needed to preserve this area, which is being slowly destroyed by mining, agriculture, and logging.

Credit: Junglekeepers

In the treehouse classroom, the rangers learn a series of fundamental skills: how to keep track of biodiversity, report illegal activities such as poaching, and more. J.J. Durand, vice president of Junglekeepers, the organization in charge of the project, believes that education is key to saving the rainforest. That is why they have partnered with Udemy, an online platform that offers a multitude of courses to the indigenous people in the region.

Deforestation decreased dramatically in 2023, and I would like to think that it has something to do with these educational efforts.

When Mary Pope Osborne wrote "Afternoon on the Amazon" (book number six of her Magic Tree House collection) in 1995, I am sure she did not even remotely imagine that one day there would be a real, magnificent treehouse in the middle of the Amazonian jungle that would work its own kind of magic. I used to read these short novels to my kids and I have just had a look at the one about the rainforest. There is a short dialogue between the two main characters that I find quite educational. It goes like this: Annie shuddered. “I still don’t love bugs,” she said. “You don’t have to love them,” said Jack. “Just leave them alone. And they won’t bother you.” In fact, that’s true about the whole rainforest, Jack thought. Everyone should just leave it all alone.

And if reading this short post is not enough to quench your curiosity and you want to see the school for yourself, you only need around $1,500 to spend one night there, as the treehouse also doubles as tourist accommodation.

Credit: Random House. New York