Hidden amid trees at Model Colony Lake, a unique way to get a bird’s eye view

“The lake is about six acres and featured in a presentation at the Rio Conference in 1992 as a very good urban nature reserve. It occurred because a lot of rock was excavated from the quarries many years ago and underground water began to flow into the quarry. Migratory birds come and prefer to stay here for a few months. The residents are also very proactive at Model Colony,” says Dengle.

Today, nature lovers can access the lake through a walkaway and the Nature Observation Centre — and no trees were cut to construct either. Interestingly, the centre cannot be seen from the walkaway, as it was designed to be engulfed among trees.

“The centre, made of steel, has come up on a small plot of land and I wanted to create a bird-watching platform without disturbing the natural environment. The structure, however, is just a small part of the project. We hope to be able to have sensors, cameras and telescopes to observe insects and the small organisms that grow in the water. Smart screens would enable us to see the whole life under the water,” says Dengle. The entire project that consists of conserving the Model Colony Lake began two decades ago.

“The intention is to get children to open their eyes to life that they can physically see but also what lies underneath the ground and in the water, so that they understand how the ecology connects all of us with not only this planet but the universe,” he adds.