Bamboo Progress & Climate Action: Visit from the African Centre for Environment, Energy and Climate Advocacy

Today, we were visited by a team from African center for environment energy and climate advocacy. As the name of their NGO suggest, they deal with the work of conservation of various ecosystems like Ondiri Wetland.Actually, it was not their first visit, they also took part in the Mazingira day event of last year.

The main objective of the visit was to see the progress of the bamboo they had planted last year January. It was astonishing when under favourable how bamboos can grow first, indeed it's the grass with the highest growth rate. We received vital training on the bamboo maintenance through a process called thining that entailed the removal of leaves and side branches that were entangling the bamboo reducing the growth.

We also learnt about the importance of ensuring the upper apex part is maintained by avoiding cutting it as this interferes with auxins leading to growth of lateral buds and branches that contributes to entanglement. We were also taught on the value addition of them in making toothpicks, manure ,spoons and plates.From our side we taught them the meicinal significance of the giant bamboo like a role in pregnancy maintenance , shampoo from leaves for hair growth and anti aging. They were happy on the way we had taken care of bamboos, our efforts in aligning ourselves with the UN SDG no 13 on climate action by the way we had adaptive strategies like using the aspect of medicinal indigenous trees and herbs to bring out theme of conservation and our ways of education and improving awareness through events like Mazingira day, conservation concert , run and cycling . They promised to do mor planting as we wait the onset of rain as they continue even teaching us more on the methods of bamboo propagation .