I attended the 2009 Bamboo Tecnologies for the Developing Countries from june to august because I plant and study bamboo since 2003 at Sítio Vagalume
(www.sitiovagalume.com) and also because I am president of Santa Catarina Bamboo Association (www.bambusc.org.br), in the south of Brazil.
The course was organized by CBRC, China National Bamboo Research Center, in Hangzhou and was attended by more than 30 students from 17 different countries, from Africa, the Pacific and Latin America.
The first 4 weeks we learned all about bamboo and the possible uses for it. We had classes with the best teachers and bamboo experts in China. On the weekends we visited Hangzhou and Shanghai with the CBRC staff.
During the last 4 weeks were travelled to different provinces to visit bamboo plantations, bamboo processing factories and bamboo gardens and museuns.
Bamboo in China is very important to the economy and the environment.
There is a strong Bamboo Culture, as the plant has been present in the everyday life of the chinese people for more than 4000 years.
It was a wonderful experience to be in China, to be able to learn all about bamboo, to see the plantations and products and to feel the culture and economic development of the country.
The group was very special, we all became good friends. CBRC was very efficient to organize the course and the field trips.
It was a great experience, I wish we can use all this knowledge to help create a Bamboo Culture in our countries, planting bamboo and using it to make life better for our people and for our planet.
regards
Marcos
