The diversity of this plant, and its associated applications, are providing a vast array of engagement opportunities to showcase, educate and connect people with bamboo. Because it could be a catalyst for a new type of agricultural development in Alabama, specifically the Black Belt Region of the state, where opportunities are few, and many of the counties consistently rank as some of the poorest
in our nation. We aim to bring bamboo to our community in the form of a public bamboo park, a demonstration bamboo farming site, and an experimental bamboo build center. Through our efforts we will showcase how bamboo can change the lives of many, not just a few, improve our environment, and become an economic and creative benefit in our community, state, and nation as a whole. Bamboo Park
Individuals will have the opportunity to learn about and explore all of the varied and wonderful aspects of bamboo through a diverse array of artistic, cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities throughout the year. The bamboo park can become a destination, offering a place of serenity, beauty, and culture, drawing residents and visitors from the local, regional and international communities, and will help our community thrive. Demonstration Bamboo
Farming Site
Farmers will have the opportunity to learn about and explore best practices for bamboo farming through the use of a one acre planting of timber bamboo. In addition, plans include an organic garden which would allow farmers to see how to intercrop with bamboo. Experimental Bamboo Build Center
Bamboo is a renewable material with a simple production process and is expected to be a sustainable alternative for more traditional materials like concrete, steel and timber. Individuals will be able to attend workshops focusing on how bamboo can be used in innovative and experimental ways that demonstrate its architectural possibilities. In addition, there will be rotating exhibitions on the potential for small scale value added bamboo processing and manufacturing opportunities. Why We’re Doing It
Until recently the possibility of farming bamboo in the United States as an agroforestry crop was not possible because there has never been an economical supply of juvenile plants to establish large groves of bamboo. However, advances in tissue culture research, specifically with the largest temperate bamboo species Moso, now makes a sustainable bamboo industry possible in the Black Belt region of Alabama, one of the few places in the United States where this timber bamboo species will grow to a mature size. Moso is used to make food, fiber, paper, plywood, furniture, flooring, and a variety of architectural structural materials. The United States imports most all bamboo and bamboo related products from China. The Black Belt region of Alabama was once sought after for its rich soils, however since 1915, when the boll weevil devastated the cotton crops, the region never recovered and has remained economically depressed, with extremely high unemployment rates, poor social services and a dire socioeconomic situation. The five acres of land for this project is centrally located and highly visible, situated at one of the major gateways into the Black Belt region, and within a few miles of three institutions of higher education: The University of Alabama, Stillman College, and Shelton State Community College. In addition, it is adjacent to Kentuck Park, where the nationally recognized Kentuck Festival is held each year, and at the end of the Northport Levee Walking/Biking Trail. The site location for the Black Belt Bamboost project will also:
- bring public attention to the possibilities of developing a bamboo industry in Alabama
- raise awareness of bamboo as a catalyst for agriculture development in the state
- showcase the full value cycle of bamboo and the possibilities for creating downstream industries
- provide an opportunity to explore an alternative energy source
in order to help positively impact the transformation of people and communities within the Black Belt region of Alabama.
