What started as a simple conversation between professor Richard Griffin, Ph.D., and his student, Robert Lewis III, has turned into a bamboo garden creation that will grace the Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Farm and Ranch for decades to come.
On Saturday, September 17, about 50 students, Griffin, Kwaku Addo, Ph.D., and farm technicians, came together to plant 14 bamboo trees in phase three of the farm. The trees were a generous donation from Bamboo Texas, a nursery in Hockley, Texas. They have been on campus for the past two weeks, watered by hand twice a day. On Saturday morning, students measured the holes for the trees, layered mulch at the bottom, and planted the bamboo with Miracle-Gro and water. The bamboo, which is about six feet tall currently, is expected to grow to 50 feet when they reach full maturity.
Bamboos are not native to Texas, which excited Lewis and Griffin about growing them on campus. The hope is that their presence will be another avenue for the whole campus to learn more about agriculture and create further excitement about the field. Plans for the garden include adding benches, statues, and a walking bridge to beautify the area.
“I want this to be a safe space for students to meditate or pray if they need to and learn more about agriculture in a compelling way outside of the classroom,” Lewis said. “Bamboo trees can live to be 100 years old, so they will be here for students to enjoy long after we’re gone.”
Lewis and volunteers will continue to water the trees twice a day for three weeks and then once a day afterward.
Pascale Mondesir
Communication Specialist
pamondesir@pvamu.edu
