Toyota Eco Zone project

The Toyota Eco Zone project is envisioned as a holistic learning centre for students to engage in the exploration of sustainability in various fields through place-based experiential education. The park is an effort to introduce the crucial elements of Nature connection that are lacking in modern education by creating native ecosystems, working models, audio-visual and other sensory experiences including hands-on activities and experiments.

CERE has been working closely with Toyota-Kirloskar to create content that seamlessly connects all these aspects, along with design interventions for physical models, the park landscape and other tangible and intangible learning features.

The park combines several educative elements into wider categories based on the pressing challenges of our time – Climate Change, Biodiversity, Water, Energy and Waste. Once inside, the students may choose to go on a trail that immerses them into an inquiry of our relation with Nature through any of these five subjects.

Partially powered by renewable energy, the area harvests rainwater in the ground, treats waste water, and is designed to serve as a safe haven for hundreds of plant species and associated wildlife.

Crucial to the long term vision of the park is the function of being not only a learning resource centre but also a space to reignite a sense of wonder in the hearts of children and researchers alike. Built in phases, the park aims to motivate environmental action at the individual and community level by serving as a demonstration of nature-friendly systems of farming, energy generation, water and waste management, conservation, and livelihood.