In July of 1968, the Arenal volcano which had lain dormant for many centuries erupted with unexpected violence. The town of Tabacon was fully destroyed and around 80 people were killed. Since then, this impressive volcano of 5,358 feet has remained the most active of volcano in the Costa Rican territory. On a clear night you can experience the numerous explosions and see the sky turning red by lava spewing from Arenal’s crater (Greenspan, 1997).

Arenal Volcano.

The man-made Arenal lake is not only famous for it’s rainbow bass fishing and windsurfing, but is also the main site where bamboo is planted. Altogether there are 8 hectares of Guadua planted in different areas around the lake to reduce soil erosion caused by the extremely high winds, heavy precipitation, and loose soil structure.

One of the sections of the plantation we will be visiting is Rodal Galpon located one kilometer from the town of Arenal. There they plant, harvest, and preserve the bamboo culms for later use in construction of houses mainly around the area of Turrialba. Two years ago, 10,800 culms were harvested from only one fourth of the plantation. This bamboo site is around 6 years old and is managed by a local man named Tino. Other local farmers are beginning to realize the benefits and sustainability of raising bamboo in this region and several are willing to provide the land for bamboo investors.