I am currently starting a treehouse venture called treetop co and I need local support to get it off the ground. As a means to kick-start the venture, I am building a transportable treehouse pod. Treetop co is essentially a treetop construction team, specialising in sensitive construction (no damage to trees) of a range of special structures including treehouses, sunset platforms, canopy walkways and inter-tree installations, hanging capsules, log cabins, creative spaces and garden creations. All of the structures are built with certified sustainable timber and focus on utilising waste / up-cycled materials. There will be strong community involvement through the running of treehouse construction workshops where people can learn about sustainable woodwork and environmental issues. A long-term vision of Treetop co is to start a community in the UK where people can come to experience an alternative way of living or get involved with a sustainable construction project.

What we'll deliver:

• Planting trees around the UK, wherever we build treehouses
• Education for people about natural & sustainable construction in the form of hands on construction workshops
• Assistance to communities and individuals by helping them with the planning and build of their alternative abodes

Why it's a great idea:

The pod will be used to raise awareness and interest in nature by living with it, not against it. Treehouses add value and dignity to trees by making them habitable spaces. If successful the pod could be developed into a permanent home or temporary installation which has potential to be used for a variety of applications such as camping/glamping, eco-lodges, retreat centres, festivals, art exhibits, educational purposes or as a garden feature. All of these potential applications could help spread the notion of living differently to a wider audience, helping connect people to their natural surroundings and most importantly open our eyes to the magic of trees and why we should respect and value them.

Steps to get it done:

• Complete the construction of the pod
• Install pod at a site in the UK the end of February 2019

I have just spent 3 years in India where I was working with the Treehouse Community (treehousecommunity.net), who are are experts in sustainable construction of treehouses and other canopy creations. This campaign is a followup to an initial go fund me campaign which helped to buy the materials to build the pod. At this stage I am in need of support to finalise the build and take the pod to the next stage of installation. The rigging and transport costs is a one of cost but the equipment can then be reused many times. Once the construction is complete and the equipment is acquired the costs of running the pod and transporting it are relatively low.