Meghalaya, India is one of the wettest places on earth, in 1985 the area saw over 25 meters [900+ inches] of rainfall. During the summer monsoon Maghlaya’s gentle rivers become unpredictable and dangerous to cross. Along the rivers are Ficus elastica, a species of Indian rubber tree which grows powerful roots. The War-Khasis tribe of Meghalaya, was the first to discover that they could cross the rivers safely by using the tree’s roots to create sustainable living bridges. The bridges can take anywhere from 10-15 years to grow, once full grown the bridges can withstand the weight of more than 50 people and continue to live for more than 500 years.