Rotarians have made tree and bamboo planting a signature service project for over a decade. Here are three efforts, on two continents, putting bamboo specifically to work for their communities.
📍 Panesh village, near Ghanahatti, Himachal Pradesh, India
In July 2021, Rotary Club Shimla planted 30,000 bamboo saplings on government land, working alongside Rotaract members from the Government Dental College Shimla and residents of Panesh, Shillaroo, and Kali Hatti. The club procured roughly 200,000 bamboo seeds and distributed them in farmer-friendly 500-seed packets, choosing bamboo for its fast growth, natural fencing, and value as fodder and fiber crop — part of a district-wide Rotary target to plant 1.5 million trees.
Source: Himachal Headlines
📍 Quezon City, Philippines
The Rotary Club of North Balintawak ran a dedicated bamboo planting initiative during its "Life-Changing" 2021–22 presidential term, part of a broader wave of Philippine Rotary clubs taking on bamboo as a service project — the Philippines is one of the world's top bamboo-producing nations, and bamboo planting is widely used there for flood control and riverbank stabilization.
Source: Rotary Club of North Balintawak
📍 Bocas del Toro, Panama
The Tree Projects is a reforestation and wildlife-recovery initiative working in partnership with Rotary International, restoring rainforest habitat for the critically endangered Great Green Macaw. It grew directly out of Rotary's 2017–18 "Trees for Tomorrow" challenge — launched by then–Rotary International President Ian Riseley — which saw Rotarians worldwide plant over 4.3 million trees, including bamboo and other fast-growing species used for erosion control and habitat restoration.
Sources: thetreeprojects.org · Rotary International
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