Far North workshops put bamboo to good use

Bamboo Building Workshop attendees learn how to flatten a bamboo culm. Photo / Supplied

It's often considered a pest, but a new series of bamboo workshops is aiming to change how people view the ancient Chinese grass.

Around 20 people gathered for the first Bamboo Building Workshop at Takahue last week, to share knowledge about bamboo and its different uses.

Workshop organiser John Kenderdine said the event was the first in a series in the lead-up to the inaugural Bamboo Festival in February next year.

"These monthly workshops are basically to educate people about the various ways bamboo can act as an alternative resource as opposed to using other materials for building, craft etc," Kenderdine said.

"Bamboo is often regarded as a problem, but we are learning to see it as a wonderful asset and something available at virtually no cost.

"The workshops are about taking back control of our lives and to empower people to be more self-sufficient and resilient.

"We're living in strange times, so the more resilience we have in terms of making our own stuff and growing our own food, the better.

"I'd love to see more young people getting involved and to get them interested in getting away from their screens."

The species of bamboo we know today evolved from prehistoric grasses between 30 and 40million years ago and has been used for weapons, paper, building materials and books.

Workshop attendees worked together to harvest giant bamboo for borax treatment and learned its different handling techniques.

Kenderdine said the workshops were a good way to cultivate interest in the grass and to show people how it's used in different countries around the world.

Bamboo Building Workshop attendees learn how to flatten a bamboo culm. Photo / Supplied

"We are working hard to prepare for the Bamboo Festival which will have a display of stalls showcasing everything relating to bamboo," he said.

"We will have two walls showing people examples of how to build a home from bamboo, as well as people playing music with bamboo, cooking with it and whatever else people wish to do.

"Bamboo is something available in huge amounts and its use is only limited by our imagination.

"Our aim is to make it more readily available for everyday use throughout the Far North, just like it is in Asia and South America."

The Bamboo Workshops will be held on the last Sunday of each month from now until November.

All are welcome with a small koha and you must bring your own food.

Details of the next workshop will be available soon on the Ecocentre Facebook page.