Foraging Bamboo Shoots

Learn the art of harvesting, processing, and cooking fresh bamboo shoots—the edible part of this remarkable plant! Join Dr Syam Vishwanath as he guides you through sustainable harvesting techniques and culinary delights.

This session is a part of our curated weekend program "Bamboo Groove- Its Grass and more..." Read more about it here.

About Dr Syam Vishwanath

Dr Syam Viswanath, during his two-and-a-half-decade-long research career at ICFRE, has been active in agroforestry and conservation research with more than 140 publications to his credit. His primary focus has been on Traditional Agroforestry Systems (TAFS) in rain-fed regions in India. He has made significant contributions to promoting Sandalwood-based AF practices across India through several research projects funded by NMPB-Govt. of India, various research publications, and as Course coordinator of the one-week Sandalwood promotion and cultivation training programme from 2008 till 2018 at IWST Bangalore.

In recognition of his expertise and publications on sandalwood, he was nominated as a member of the Sandalwood development committee under the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India in 2021. He was honoured with the Dr KG Tejwani Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to Agroforestry research and development in 2021 by the Indian Society of Agroforestry (ISAF) based in ICAR-CAFRI, Jhansi.

Dr. Syam Viswanath has completed 20 externally aided research projects and 6 internal projects while in ICFRE. Has mentored 25 students to PhD, of which at least 15 are in Agroforestry. He has completed several international and national assignments as a Consultant for UNIDO on bamboo. He has been a Guest Faculty at Azim Premji University, Bangalore, since 2015 and regularly conducts an open Course on Bamboo for a full semester for Postgraduate students. He is also a Courtesy Professor in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC), University of Florida, Gainesville, since 2015, besides being a recognised guide for PhD at Calicut University, CUSAT Cochin, FRI University, Dehra Dun and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He has been deputed for five years as Director of Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, since June 2018. Under his leadership, KFRI was selected as the Best Performing Institute of KSCSTE for 2021 and an award bestowed in a special ceremony by the Hon, CM of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan.

After 5yrs 3 month tenure in KFRI he joined his parent cadre on 21st Sept 2023 in ICFRE- IFGTB Coimbatore where he superannuated in 31st Dec 2023. Dr. Syam Viswanath is an Advisory member of the National Bamboo Mission, Govt. of India, and an Executive council member of Asia Pacific Forestry Research Institutes (APAFRI) based in Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) for two consecutive periods in 2018-2021 and 2021-2023, Program Advisory Committee (PAC) member of DST, Govt. of India for SC/SP schemes of SEED division since 2019. He is a Reviewer for International Journals such as Agroforestry Systems, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal of Bamboo and Rattan.