CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — Decades ago, bamboo was brought in to stem erosion at Wilson Creek, but eventually the process became a burden. Two groups recently joined to rid the area of the invasive plant.

Jacqueline Greene and the Hickory, North Carolina, chapter of Trout Unlimited, spent a Saturday outside of Wilson Creek at a campground removing invasive bamboo. She said it's a project three years in the making, and it brought in dozens of volunteers.

What You Need To Know

  • Volunteers removed invasive bamboo from near Wilson Creek

  • The bamboo was causing issues when the water in the creek rose

  • The bamboo was brought in for erosion control decades ago 

A Clean Wilson Creek Founder Wes Waugh said the groups came together to make it happen after the owners expressed interest in turning the area into more of a nature preserve.

"The bamboo was probably established at least 50 to 60 years ago to create barriers and erosion control. Over time, as you can see, the development of bamboo forest has created problems," Waugh said.

When Wilson Creek floods, the bamboo is so thick that it can actually stop the water and push it around the creek, which is dangerous for those living there.

The groups spent hours chopping it down, moving it and getting it ready to be transported.

"Our company is building the first processing mill for bamboo waste streams in the United States," said Everest Holmes, who works for National Bamboo, which is sponsoring the haul.

He will be taking the bamboo and recycling it.

"The tops get composted to create a very microbial-rich compost. The woody sections get pulverized and powdered and what's really cool is that powder goes into a bioplastic line as a filler product. It's mixed with a resin to create biodegradable cutlery sets," Holmes said.