The Amazon forests have long been a source of important resources for human activities. Since the rubber era and the exploitation of wood and gold, we have entered the forest to repeatedly extract resources until they are depleted. However, this is not the case with Brazilian nuts in Tambopata, which have become one of the most sustainable activities in the Madre de Dios region.
After an almost two-hour flight, followed by one hour on a bus, and an additional hour by boat, we finally arrive at Refugio Amazonas a cozy eco-lodge in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon in Tambopata, southeast of Cuzco. The trails, traversed by hundreds of people, primarily serve to reach these immense Brazilian Nut trees and their fruits. Reaching heights of up to 50 meters, the Amazonian giant is characterized by a dark, almost straight trunk with longitudinal cracks, adorned with moss. Its branches only emerge high up the trunk and extend throughout the crown, resembling an umbrella, or as I like to call it, a “broccoli”.
Brazilian Nut Tree by Walter Wust
“Pum!” the sound of the nut hitting the ground, signals the onset of the Christmas season in this region of the jungle, as well as the wet season when the falling of pods, resembling bullets, is heard in the jungle. These woody fruits, weighing nearly 500 grams, descend from the high canopy. Walking under these trees requires either shielding one's head or promptly evacuating the “war zone”.
Brazil nut trees produce hard, woody fruits approximately 10 centimeters in diameter, which contain nuts protected by a woody shell. Despite the force with which they fall, the pods do not break and often bury themselves in the ground.
Brazilian Nuts pods by Aracely Meza
While walking near the large Brazil nut trees on the trails I travel every day, I often hear the click of teeth from someone eating. At dusk, the little nutcrackers, or agoutis, can be seen sitting on the ground with their front paws holding what appears to be a nut in its shell; so focused on opening the shell and reaching the nut, they haven't noticed my presence. These medium-sized rodents specialize in opening these nuts from the hard outer shell to the second layer. They love the nut but only eat what they need, burying the rest underground in different places for times of scarcity. Like other small creatures with little brain mass, they forget the exact location of some nuts, which aids in the germination of new Brazil nut trees. In fact, more than 80% of new trees are due to these little nutcrackers.
Brazilian Nuts Flowers by Walter Wust
In November and December, under the canopies of Brazil nut trees, their half-white-yellowish flowers begin to fall. These flowers have a special shape, like a heavy hood, which protects them. Only large bees and bumblebees can lift this hood to access the tasty pollen and nectar inside. These specialized pollinators, mostly found in pristine forests, play a crucial role in seed development by transferring pollen between different trees. As a result, the trees in natural forests produce more nuts than those in disturbed forests.
Bee pollinator by Marcelo Cavalcante
Once, I went north of Madre de Dios to find the tree located '4km away' that a friend mentioned. After two hours of walking, we found a big tree with a dark trunk and lots of branches. Several open pods were scattered around the tree, and after an intense search, we found and shared three pods. A few years later, when I reached Refugio Amazonas, I was surprised to see so many Brazil nut trees close to each other. I learned that in some places in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, there are areas called 'manchales,' forest areas with lots of individual trees of the same species resembling ancient plantations originated by indigenous people. In this kind of forest, collecting Brazil nuts is the most important activity for several communities in Madre de Dios, including the Infierno, Sonene, and Palma Real Ese’eja native communities. Once a year, Brazil nuts harvesting provides a steady annual income and is so important in their diet that I think perhaps their ancestors indeed planted these Brazil nut trees hundreds of years ago to ensure a rich source of proteins and essential amino acids and helped to preserve the natural forests of the Amazon.
Field Biologist, Refugio Amazonas
