Parque Bambú

In October 2nd 1995, I planted the first tree. No one had dared to commit such a “rebellious act” in the previous 60 years, because the laws that regulated the land reform in the 1960´s required that all trees had to be cut down and replaced by crops in order to obtain the legal land titles.

As a result of this near-sighted regulation the whole area had been deforested. Once covered with lush humid rainforest the hills are now barren, scarcely covered with stubbly grass. Till today local farmers hate trees – you can´t blame them. To make things worse, farmers set fire to the hills every year.

As a young man, I travelled in the 1970´s to Israel, attracted by the slogan “We make the desert bloom” and hoped to take part in a heartwarming solidarity process to green the Negev wasteland. What I did find was a fraud; the Israelis are systematically harassing the Palestinians and robbing their land.

Their disgust towards the Arabs is built into their educational system, considering them as sub-humans, to the point that this profound brainwashing makes them blind for the cruel repression that their leaders and military impose on the Palestinians. The situation is reminiscent of what happened to their Jewish ancestors in the years of war in Germany. Exit Israel.

My sleepy town got “modern” with the appearance of the first fashion shops, noisy entertainment events and trendy plastic shopping bags.

In a couple of years’ time, all my friends knew more logos of cars and sound systems than the names of trees and plants that used to grow around the town.

And this was just the beginning of our abundance and our alienation.

I assisted in numerous community meetings with local authorities and NGOs. When farmers are asked about their needs, the answer is invariably a request for financial means and technical assistance, the latter meaning chemical fertilizer and herbicides.

There is never a request to prevent the catastrophic fires during the dry season, nor the establishment of a program to protect the water sources. Nor a project to stop the deterioration of the soil due to erosion. When I ask about the aspirations of their children, they proudly answer that the son works in town as a security guard, or that the daughter manages a cosmetic shop in the capital. In other words, stepping in their parent’s lifelong activity of working the land is never an option.  

The outlook for the River Mira Valley, where Parque Bambú is located, is rather grim; the deforestation, the gigantic fires, the ensuing erosion and drought are gradually converting the landscape into a semi-desert. Access to water is not a problem yet, but that can change abruptly. Habitats for many species are shrinking drastically and even disappearing.

For example: the apparently insignificant millipede (Diplopoda julidae) plays an important role in the fragmentation of vegetative litter. They were my best companions in making compost. Now, they are gone. The lizard (Pholidobolus montium), gone. A very common beetle (Phylliplaga spp), that appeared en masse at the beginning of the rainy season, gone. And the list goes on. No one notices because these little creatures have no relevance to humans´ daily routine, or so it seems. 

Since 1995, with the help of volunteers and paid workers, we have been planting trees, against all odds, thousands of trees and vines, and palm trees and bamboos. While we are giving good use to the abundance of weeds to make compost and enriching the soil with microorganisms, neighbors spray glyphosate and burn the stubble after the harvest. 

Now, after three decades, we have an established 15 hectares’ secondary forest, teeming with life.  

Most businesses and corporations rest only on two legs, avoiding social and ecological responsibility. It is in the nature of capitalism to externalize all costs which are not directly linked to their profit or which are not imposed on them by the government. “Externalities” are defined as consequences of an industrial or commercial activity that affects other parties without being reflected in the price of the goods and services sold.

An example: For many years Alteo Gardanne, a bauxite processing plant in southern France, has been discharging polluting red aluminum sludge into the Mediterranean Sea.

By avoiding the cost of processing the waste product, the companies’ benefit is much higher and the shareholders are happy (and rich).

The virtue of permaculture is exactly to take into account all the aspects of our actions and establish a Permanent Culture of Care for the Earth, Care for its People and Share Surplus.

With these fundamentals in mind, a proper design can be set up. But be realistic; if you have to start from scratch, consider at least five years of hard work before you get your project running on its four legs. It took me much longer than five years, but finally Parque Bambú is running on its four legs and it is satisfying that I have been able to add to the local economy by giving jobs to local farmers, use all kind of services such as transport, the local welder, the seamstress or the occasional catering with the restaurant in the village.

I also share my experience with visiting students and regional NGO´s and give guided tours in the property.

Three private rooms and a dormitory are available for visitors, in the style of Bed & Breakfast.

The rooms are family rooms with several beds and have a private bathroom with shower.

Two of the rooms have a porch with hammock. We do not offer lunch and dinner, but the kitchen is at the disposal.

The dining room has three big tables..