Wow, how cool are these bridges, “grown” by training roots to grow into the shapes you want for your structure.
In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren’t built – they’re grown.
The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree. This tree produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves.
Living Root Bridges [Via Miekal And’s FB page]
More:
Houses woven out of trees
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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.
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