Hoja Nueva: A New Leaf for Amazon Conservation

The goal of Hoja Nueva is to develop a successful permaculture and conservation program within the community of Lucerna, located on the Las Piedras River Basin in the Southern Peruvian Amazon. We are an experimental center that integrates research, conservation, education, and reforestation into our everyday permaculture efforts. We also consult and cooperate with local agricultural associations and other non-profit organizations to ensure reliable food production while maintaining healthy forests. Hoja Nueva will incorporate ecosystem monitoring, long-term soil research, sustainable practices, and extensive community outreach to attain its objectives. We aim to provide a practical framework for permaculture practices in lowland rainforest environments that can be used locally and regionally to safeguard a future where both humans and nature can thrive.

Our first endeavor is to create a better home in the Piedras for the guests, volunteers, and staff of Hoja Nueva. This will involve building a safe, resilient, and eco-friendly station for operation on our 60 acres of land. Our parcel of lowland Amazonian rainforest is surrounded by 14 others currently in the process of being acquired and developed, and this number will only grow. In order to demonstrate and support ecologically healthy land management practices that maintain both biodiversity and human well being, our experimental center’s swift and successful establishment is vital.