ENERGY

The rooms at Jungle Hut are constructed using local materials (and local human resources). All rooms are fitted with energy efficient bulbs. Jungle Hut has numerous solar panels around the property. These also heat the kitchen and guest room’s water. The swimming pool too is naturally solar heated!

WATER

All of our water comes from natural springs fed by the catchment area up in the hills and from rainwater harvesting. Gullies created for drainage slows down the water flow, helping to recharge the groundwater, arresting soil erosion and aiding clear-water flow back into the river. This drainage system minimises stagnant water thereby discouraging breeding of mosquitoes.

A series of ponds within the property fed by springs and rainwater help to conserve water. The Upper pond, situated next to the swimming pool,the middle pond with boasts colourful water lillies and the lower pond are stocked with fish, which also discourages mosquitoes.

ENVIRONMENT & AFFORESTATION

On the land where Jungle Hut is situated, prior to 1986 there were only a handful of trees and the land was mostly over-grazed and barren. The previous owners farmed the land in the season and left it fallow for the rest of the year.

Since its inception in 1986, Jungle Hut has contributed to a lot of afforestation within the premises and now hosts over 50 species of trees.

Immense amounts of personal effort and research went into planting indigenous and keystone species of trees with the sole idea of creating a wooded paradise and bringing in birdlife. Where earlier, birds were unwelcome visitors, today this area has become a bird watcher’s paradise. Most of these are indigenous and attract flocks of native and migratory birds, butterflies and bees.

Over the years, we have cumulatively planted and protected thousands of trees in the area, resulting in the return of approximately 130 species of birds to the area, along with many other kinds of fauna.

Afforestation, combined with our pond drainage system, retains water that flows through the property, recharging the groundwater in the area.

The abundance of our resident cows and the spotted chital ensure Jungle Hut’s lawns are kept trimmed without the use of machinery!

COMPOST

We compost all our dry and wet vegetable and dry leaf waste. The garden is fertilised with homemade compost, with cow manure provided by our own livestock. The compost is also inoculated with Effective Micro-organisms (EM) which contribute to soil health and plant growth.

You are welcome to wander around and explore our garden.

Jungle Hut is a wilderness destination but also creates awareness about Nature and Wildlife while at the same time engaging with local communities and contributing to their overall development. Guests are also given the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to these causes. Being permanent residents of this area for over 25 years the Mathias’ have and continue to contribute to the following:

SUSTAINING THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Jungle Hut has been providing direct and indirect employment to local communities in the area, some for almost three decades. Local communities are beneficiaries of enhanced income and job security enabling them to lead a higher standard of livelihood and their dependency on the forest has considerably decreased. A major portion of the provisions used by us are procured locally. In addition we use the services of local technicians for maintenance work carried out on our campus.

BUILDING HOMES

Building a stronger bond between Jungle Hut and the local people, the Mathias’ have provided support as well as constructed homes with attached toilets for all the tribals who work with them and have also built a house for an elderly tribal couple not connected to the resort.

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

Children, mostly tribals, who have the aptitude to learn English and who are recommended by educational authorities are sponsored by not only Jungle Hut, but a number of regular guests and friends. Most of these children are not connected to Jungle Hut in any way.

Jungle Hut has, over the years provided support to the local Government Tribal School in Bokkapuram by providing it with donations, water supply during the dry months, bedding for the hostel, free daily transportation for school going children from a surrounding hamlet and with the support from friends guests and the Hospitality Association of Mudumalai we have supplied them with amenities such as sound equipment, drinking water purifiers etc.

HEALTHCARE

Apart from providing financial support for medical care to the staff of Jungle Hut, the same support is also extended to people in need from the local communities.

In one instance, a few years back, a prominent tribal leader, not connected to the resort in any way was diagnosed with cancer. With assistance from a sister concern, all financial and medical assistance including providing him with prescribed morphine to ease his pain, an air mattress etc was provided. In cases of major health issues members of our staff have been sent for treatment at our expense to high standard hospitals in Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Sultans Battery, Perundanmalai etc. Jungle Hut is also a member of The Hospitality Association of Mudumalai through which we have collectively contributed to a local Drivers Association for the purchase of an Ambulance which is used for the general public.