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HOLLAND BAMBOO A historic landmark in shambles
published: Thursday | April 14, 2005
Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
THERE IS something slowly disappearing from the historic Bamboo Avenue in the community of Holland in St. Elizabeth. What is it, you ask? Believe it or not, it's the bamboo!
Through a combination of natural catastrophes and human malevolence, this once thriving tourist attraction is slowly becoming a wilted wasteland of flaccid bamboo plants, which show clear signs of having seen better days.
Holland Bamboo Avenue is located on the main South Coast highway, between Lacovia and Middle Quarters, in the parish. It was developed late in the 17th century by local landowners who planted the bamboo on both sides of the road to provide them with shade during their travels.
On Tuesday, a team from The Gleaner paid a visit to the historic avenue, and found the area in shambles.
SIGNS OF DECADENCE
Upon approaching the threatened landmark, we were met with a bad sign literally. The mangled 'Welcome to Holland Bamboo' sign was actually lying face-down on the ground. Then, as the news team journeyed further along the avenue, it was as if we had been warped into a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie.
Everywhere there were signs of decadence and misfortune. Having not benefited from significant rainfall since the start of the year, the area was completely dry. The sweltering heat was so intense that you could almost smell the bamboo burning. Bush fires and arsonists have left several burnt-out roots of bamboo plants in their wake. Nearby, rib-exposed cows chewed silently on sun-browned grass.
Residents of the area told strange stories of days gone by, which today sound like fairy tales. They spoke of lush green bamboo plants rising majestically to the sky on both sides of the road, forming a canopy, through which protruding sunlight created iridescent scenes.
This, they said, made for an extremely beautiful display, that easily drew the awe of visitors from around the world. Now, much of the once beautiful vegetation lies in hefty heaps by the side of the road. These unsightly heaps have now stolen the spotlight, becoming the first things you notice as you traverse the avenue.
Sheldon Williams has been selling coconuts on the avenue for over 30 years. "The place is nothing like what it was first time. So much of the bamboo either blow down or get burn up, that if you don't look good, you not going to realise when you reach Bamboo Avenue," he said.
Ruddy Baker, who said he enjoyed climbing the bamboo plants as a boy, told us of another major problem which is threatening the area. He said residents from nearby communities, under the cover of night-time, have been dumping household garbage along the avenue.
True enough, strewn all along the roadway were pieces of evidence of man's folly. You could perhaps fill a large skip with the plastic bottles, paper bags and all other sorts of household refuse that lay along the roadway. While in the area, the news team witnessed passengers of four vehicles throwing plastic and cardboard boxes along the roadway.
HIT HARD BY HURRICANE IVAN
We met up with Hamlet McCrae, a greying senior citizen who very proudly gave his title as 'Bamboo Supervisor'. Mr. McCrae is contracted to the Ministry of Agriculture to supervise maintenance work on the attraction. He has been working to maintain the avenue since the 1970s. Mr. McCrae said the area suffered a tremendous blow during the passage of Hurricane Ivan, from which it has not yet recovered.
"You see how even the tall bamboo dem look sickly? That happen since the storm blow. Dem just never recover," he said. Mr. McCrae said he and the workers he supervises have been experiencing tremendous difficulties combating the criminal intentions of residents. He said fisher folk from the parish have been going to the avenue late at night and stealing the bamboo. He said the thieves then use the stolen bamboo to make fish pots.
Raymond Ramdon, acting superintendent at the Public Gardens Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed the Bamboo supervisor's claims.
MAJOR PROBLEM
"Theft is a major problem that we face. We have to be paying out a lot of overtime to have people watching the bamboo to prevent thieves from having their way," he said.
Mr. Ramdon noted that this was a difficult task. "If we have people watching one end of the avenue, then the thieves would just simply go to the other end," he said.
Fires, said Mr. Ramdon, are another major source of concern. He said arsonists have been preying upon the area in recent months, causing millions of dollars in damage. He said during the Easter weekend a fire was intentionally set to the plants at one section of the avenue. The fire destroyed a total of seven chains of bamboo, valued at close to $11 million. Mr. Ramdon said he had no idea why anyone would want to intentionally set the bamboo plants afire.
"The people don't seem to understand what they are doing. Bamboo Avenue is such a major tourist attraction that we simply cannot allow it to die out. These people who are destroying the area only think about themselves. They don't think about the value of Bamboo Avenue to the country as a whole," said Mr. Ramdon.
HOLLAND BAMBOO A historic landmark in shambles
published: Thursday | April 14, 2005
Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
THERE IS something slowly disappearing from the historic Bamboo Avenue in the community of Holland in St. Elizabeth. What is it, you ask? Believe it or not, it's the bamboo!
Through a combination of natural catastrophes and human malevolence, this once thriving tourist attraction is slowly becoming a wilted wasteland of flaccid bamboo plants, which show clear signs of having seen better days.
Holland Bamboo Avenue is located on the main South Coast highway, between Lacovia and Middle Quarters, in the parish. It was developed late in the 17th century by local landowners who planted the bamboo on both sides of the road to provide them with shade during their travels.
On Tuesday, a team from The Gleaner paid a visit to the historic avenue, and found the area in shambles.
SIGNS OF DECADENCE
Upon approaching the threatened landmark, we were met with a bad sign literally. The mangled 'Welcome to Holland Bamboo' sign was actually lying face-down on the ground. Then, as the news team journeyed further along the avenue, it was as if we had been warped into a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie.
Everywhere there were signs of decadence and misfortune. Having not benefited from significant rainfall since the start of the year, the area was completely dry. The sweltering heat was so intense that you could almost smell the bamboo burning. Bush fires and arsonists have left several burnt-out roots of bamboo plants in their wake. Nearby, rib-exposed cows chewed silently on sun-browned grass.
Residents of the area told strange stories of days gone by, which today sound like fairy tales. They spoke of lush green bamboo plants rising majestically to the sky on both sides of the road, forming a canopy, through which protruding sunlight created iridescent scenes.
This, they said, made for an extremely beautiful display, that easily drew the awe of visitors from around the world. Now, much of the once beautiful vegetation lies in hefty heaps by the side of the road. These unsightly heaps have now stolen the spotlight, becoming the first things you notice as you traverse the avenue.
Sheldon Williams has been selling coconuts on the avenue for over 30 years. "The place is nothing like what it was first time. So much of the bamboo either blow down or get burn up, that if you don't look good, you not going to realise when you reach Bamboo Avenue," he said.
Ruddy Baker, who said he enjoyed climbing the bamboo plants as a boy, told us of another major problem which is threatening the area. He said residents from nearby communities, under the cover of night-time, have been dumping household garbage along the avenue.
True enough, strewn all along the roadway were pieces of evidence of man's folly. You could perhaps fill a large skip with the plastic bottles, paper bags and all other sorts of household refuse that lay along the roadway. While in the area, the news team witnessed passengers of four vehicles throwing plastic and cardboard boxes along the roadway.
HIT HARD BY HURRICANE IVAN
We met up with Hamlet McCrae, a greying senior citizen who very proudly gave his title as 'Bamboo Supervisor'. Mr. McCrae is contracted to the Ministry of Agriculture to supervise maintenance work on the attraction. He has been working to maintain the avenue since the 1970s. Mr. McCrae said the area suffered a tremendous blow during the passage of Hurricane Ivan, from which it has not yet recovered.
"You see how even the tall bamboo dem look sickly? That happen since the storm blow. Dem just never recover," he said. Mr. McCrae said he and the workers he supervises have been experiencing tremendous difficulties combating the criminal intentions of residents. He said fisher folk from the parish have been going to the avenue late at night and stealing the bamboo. He said the thieves then use the stolen bamboo to make fish pots.
Raymond Ramdon, acting superintendent at the Public Gardens Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed the Bamboo supervisor's claims.
MAJOR PROBLEM
"Theft is a major problem that we face. We have to be paying out a lot of overtime to have people watching the bamboo to prevent thieves from having their way," he said.
Mr. Ramdon noted that this was a difficult task. "If we have people watching one end of the avenue, then the thieves would just simply go to the other end," he said.
Fires, said Mr. Ramdon, are another major source of concern. He said arsonists have been preying upon the area in recent months, causing millions of dollars in damage. He said during the Easter weekend a fire was intentionally set to the plants at one section of the avenue. The fire destroyed a total of seven chains of bamboo, valued at close to $11 million. Mr. Ramdon said he had no idea why anyone would want to intentionally set the bamboo plants afire.
"The people don't seem to understand what they are doing. Bamboo Avenue is such a major tourist attraction that we simply cannot allow it to die out. These people who are destroying the area only think about themselves. They don't think about the value of Bamboo Avenue to the country as a whole," said Mr. Ramdon.
HOLLAND BAMBOO A historic landmark in shambles