In the Peruvian Amazon, San Diego Zoo Global partnered with the Maijuna indigenous group to promote sustainable management of aguaje palm forests. These unique forests are home to countless species of wildlife, many of which rely on the nutritious aguaje palm fruit for sustenance. Regionally, people also highly prize the fruit, and this demand has resulted in extensive cutting of fruit-bearing female palms, which is decimating palm forests throughout the Peruvian Amazon. The Maijuna people are actively seeking ways to harvest palm fruit to generate much-needed income while minimizing impacts on palms and the wildlife that also depend on them. A collaborative group is leading a series of workshops this summer to teach harvesters how to climb instead of cut palms, distribute climbing harnesses, and develop community-based palm conservation and management plans to ensure healthy palm forests for people and wildlife.
