BamBooT Camp August 2022

What you’ll be doing:

Bamboo: it’s the start of our annual bamboo harvest time and you’ll be learning how to:

• Harvest, which culms to select, when to use different treatments against powder borer beetle, plus preparing and curing your harvest for storage and use

• Work with a range of different types of clumping and running bamboo varieties, from very large giant bamboos to small crafting species

• Manage bamboo stands – both running and clumping varieties

• Use of traditional hand tools and power tools, plus Workplace Health and Safety for working with bamboo

• create different types of structures including fences, arbours & trellises to master classic bamboo building techniques

• use a range of crafting techniques including making brush-rolls & screens, weaving and whittling

Gardening: We’ll be taking a few breaks from bamboo to have some fun in the gardens harvesting and mulching, making creative bamboo trellises ready for spring planting

Biochar: making, processing and activating biochar from our bamboo waste

What you need to bring:

• Practical work clothes, long sleeved shirts, long pants (jeans. work pants), sturdy boot, sun hat and work gloves, wet weather gear (just in case).
• Please bring masks if you have them (dust masks can be in short supply, however quality cloth masks are also fine to use – bamboo dust contains silica which can cause lung damage). Also hi-vis jacket can be handy if you have one
• Suitable tools if you have them, such as bamboo saws, splitting and whittling knives
• Your own tent and bedding (we do have some ground mats for use)
• Natural personal hygiene products
• Music instruments for evening campfire entertainment.

Facilities & Conditions

The BootCamp camping hub is by the artisan barn on LandsEnd (a separate part of Djanbung). The barn has a social area, rainwater tank, solar lighting, bush showers, compost loo and grassy meadow for camping.

Food:  Food is supplied for communal meal preparation in the el fresco kitchenette and some special lunches and meals will be catered. You are welcome to bring personal foods items and fridge storage is available.

Permaculture College Resources: The main building at Djanbung has wi-fi, mains power for charging devices, a fridge to store food, communal cooking and tea making facilities and you will have access to our classroom, extensive reference library and other public resources.