#forestresearch

Truly, it’s a wonderland in Dehradun; such is the alluring charm of this lovely FRI campus. It’s stunningly beautiful and richly landscaped; encompassing green environs with oodles of forestry, serenity and tranquillity! Garhwal Himalayas mountains mounted in its backdrop is like an icing on the cake!

The entire estate is quite expansive. Spread over lush green 450 hectares! FRI building is colossal bearing a magnificent grandeur in its colonial architecture. The long-standing mighty and classic white-painted columns are holding it with strength for almost a century now.  Inside, the long running and criss-crossed arched corridors are the hallmark of this heritage building; the most photographed section, I must say!

The campus has its own restricted reserved forest area too, which is a habitat to leopards, and a narrow canal, flowing with rippling sound cutting through the estate in a serpentine fashion. Century old trees with expanded trunks and extended branches adorn the entire campus. The overgrown bamboo clusters which are ascending up to the skies are also dotting its settings. The place well secured and is kept impressively tidy and in a natural state: clean air, clean estate with clear blue skies!

Once inside, go for the hour-long walks on the treelined long-and-wide paths like a boulevard, and you will come back truly mesmerised and re-energised. The purity of the air will take your soul many levels up!

So much envious I feel of the staffs and the students who stay in this charming campus, and in such a natural habitat of many hectares. Blissful, and blessed they are! A masterpiece. An incredible tourist attraction! A must visit in Dehradun, and not to be missed at all. It will cast a magical spell on you.

© Anil Bisht

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Wide and long marvel- Forest Research Institute!

Fading lights falling over!

From the blooming corner!

The front!

Clear blue skies looms over the colonial architecture!

The might columns!

FRI building from a distance

Walk in the greens!

Bamboos!

The most photographed arched corridors!

The middle road to FRI!

In the past five years Forest School has become increasingly popular with a number of Local Education Authorities and a wide range of teachers. Through the involvement of the Forest Education Initiative it has also become more widespread. Forest School has been defined in Britain as ''an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment.' The approach is in line with the 'Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto' produced by the Government in 2006 to encourage pupils to experience the world outside of the classroom. Owing to this increased the interest, the Forestry Commission decide to gain a better understanding of the impacts of Forest School on young people by funding research in this area. Participatory action research was undertaken by the New Economics Foundation and Forest Research in a two-phase approach. Phase 1 started in Wales in 2003 and developed a methodology for capturing the link between Forest School activities and their impact on children. Phase 2 was undertaken in England and tracked a small number of children over an eight-month period as they participated in Forest School; this work was completed in late 2005.