Green 6: Bamboo Grove. Bamboos are an important part of the life in rural villages in Southeast Asia. In these areas, bamboos comprise most of the materials used to construct houses and other community structures including schools and churches. Outside the house, bamboo poles get used in various ways; in fences, pig pens, and chicken coops; in trellises and climbing poles for vines and vegetables; in small bridges, and in fishing as outriggers for small boats or as poles for the fishing line. The bamboo is also an important source of food through the bamboo shoot or the very young bamboo which can be cooked like an ordinary vegetable and is a favorite dish among many rural households.
Ownership of a few bamboo clusters could bring the household a source of regular income because of all these reasons. Thus, it is no surprise that the bamboo is valued and the owner of the bamboos in the photo have obviously been giving them proper care, cleaning its surroundings and preventing the soil around the trunks from getting eroded. (JP)