The Amazon isn’t just trees. It’s medicine. It’s memory. It’s survival. Our protected forest near Tena, Ecuador, holds an incredible diversity of plant life: from ancient hardwood giants to vines used in spiritual ceremonies. Some are known to science. Many are only known to the Sinchi Warmi and guarded as part of their ancestral knowledge. But as deforestation advances, this irreplaceable natural pharmacy is at risk. With few opportunities in local communities, younger generations no longer learn the ancestral knowledge once passed down through time. When a tree falls here, it’s not just carbon lost. It’s a cure, a recipe, a sacred rite gone forever. Protecting this flora means protecting knowledge, resilience, and future discovery.
100+ plant species identified in first survey
Medicinal, edible, and spiritual uses by Sinchi Warmi
Includes trees over X years old
Some species endemic, not found outside the region
Flora loss equals lost cures, culture, and climate protection
Some plants in our forest are part of daily life for the Sinchi Warmi — used for food, healing, and ceremony. Others are harvested less frequently for building community infrastructure and tourist facilities, always with respect for the forest’s natural recovery time.
Nelly, Sinchi Warmi
“Each plant is a healer, a teacher. If we lose the forest, we lose their voices.”
Every tree plays a role. The canopy shields animals. Roots prevent erosion. Leaves feed insects. Flowers support pollinators. Destroying flora breaks this web. And it breaks culture—many rituals, diets, and medicines rely on plants that don’t grow outside this biome. The Amazon holds 80,000 plant species. Many remain undescribed. Some may hold the next breakthrough in cancer treatment, autoimmune therapy, or climate resilience.
Our biologists catalog species and map their ecological roles. Meanwhile, the Sinchi Warmi document traditional uses, preserving ancestral knowledge. Together, they build a living database—proof that protecting plants means protecting science, culture, and survival systems. Sponsors help fund:
Every sponsored plot contains microhabitats:
When you sponsor land, you don’t just save what’s growing. You save what could grow next.