You may recall us writing about our bamboo project about three weeks ago. Now, all those 230 new bamboo starts have sprouted and are growing well, as you can see here. We strongly promote planting this clumping bamboo widely around Haiti because of its many benefits to the environment. These clumping varieties are adapted to grow and propagate well in Haiti. This bamboo is excellent for stabilizing the soil with its extensive root system, protecting it from erosion caused by heavy rain runoff and high winds. This bamboo is also excellent for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. Bamboo gives 35% more oxygen than even trees. Versatile bamboo can be used for many construction projects, some textiles and even the young shoots are edible. Bamboo is better in Haiti than trees because too often the Haitians cut trees to make charcoal for cooking but bamboo doesn’t make good charcoal so bamboo plants can grow to maturity without risk of being overharvested too young. However, bamboo can be lightly harvested in 1-5 years, making it a reliable and renewable resource. Once well established (about 60 days) the plants are relatively drought tolerant. These clumping bamboos can be propagated easily from cuttings, as we have done, or by dividing the clumps. We hope to distribute these new bamboo plants to every remote village we go to so they can have the many benefits of this renewable resource.

We started our bamboo projects from a generous donation years ago from a great ecological missionary, Corey Thede, who knows the importance and great ecological impact that bamboo gives in Haiti. Thank you, Corey, and thank you Wilner and your skilled ATC staff for your work in preparing 230 new bamboo plants to go into “the regions beyond” to benefit Haiti.

Rad Hazelip, Assistant Executive Director