Did you ever beg your parents for a tree house when you were a kid? A place where you could escape reality and enter a world limited only by your imagination.

Well Michael Garnier has gone one step further, creating not only an amazing tree house, but a whole village of them in the forest of Oregon.

Childhood memories of tree climbing, combined with his love for woodwork has inspired Garnier to construct this sanctuary known as ‘Treehouse Treesort.’

“I never had a tree house when I was a kid, but we had an apple orchard and I was up in the trees all the time,” he said in a YouTube clip by FairCompanies.

“One of the things about being in the trees is that you kind of can be in your own world then, like an Ewok or an elf.”

“Every tree house is unique because every tree is unique.”

Despite opposition from planning authorities because they deemed it unsafe, Garnier built his tree houses anyway, subjecting them to stress tests to prove just how safe they really are.

“I stacked (the) tree house full of people – 66 people, two dogs, and a cat,” he said.

“The whole thing went national and that’s when the publicity started.”

“It got the word out and it took four more years to get permits.”

Garnier uses numerous unique tools and techniques to ensure the structures are non-intrusive to the trees, making it both sustainable and environmentally friendly.

In fact, these remarkable tree houses are actually benefitting the environment, as no tree needs to be cut down and wildlife are not being forced out of their natural habitats.

Garnier says the ‘Treesort’ encourages visitors to appreciate the natural beauty of the Oregon forest.

“That’s part of what this environment is, that’s part of what Oregon is, its tree-ific, it’s tree-mendous.”

“This isn’t for everybody but… you get a different perspective.”

For more information about ‘Treehouse Treesort’, visit http://www.treehouses.com/

To watch the YouTube clip, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7aVLMZvNEQ&feature=player_embedded

More pictures here http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/highest-concentration-treehouses-world-man-builds-ewok-village-oregon.html

Source: http://comm2302.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/ewok.jpg