The tree that feeds a community: Researcher pushes tourism to save Tamil Nadu’s palmyra
As the sun rises over the dry stretches of southern Tamil Nadu, silhouettes begin appearing against rows of towering palm trees, carrying ropes, sickles and woven baskets. For generations, they have scaled palmyra trees before dawn to tap sap, harvest fruit and collect leaves.
Today, many of them are in their seventies. And that worries Dr Preethi Hari Babu.”Without community support, the tree cannot be protected. That is the charm of the palmyra — the community and the tree survive together,” says the 30-year-old tourism researcher and assistant professor from Chennai.
Dr Preethi, who completed her PhD in Tourism from Mizoram University in 2025, has focused her doctoral research on reviving Tamil Nadu’s state tree through tourism and community engagement.
Across Tamil Nadu, palmyra supports large communities. Women’s collectives produce palm jaggery and craft products, climbers harvest sap and fruit, artisans weave leaves into baskets, and entrepreneurs make jams, squashes and sweets. The tree also helps reduce soil erosion, supports water retention and acts as a habitat for multiple species.
During fieldwork across Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi and Villupuram, Preethi found climber communities whose identity is deeply connected to the tree.”There are huge climber communities, almost like fishing communities,” she said.
One of them, 32-year-old Anto Brito from a family of climbers, said, “My grandfather was a climber, and my father was also in this profession. After my studies, I got a job elsewhere, but I did not find satisfaction there. Here, I am physically fit, I am with my family, and I enjoy the work.” During season from April to October, he climbs more than 10 trees a day to produce 2-3 kg of karupatti, earning around Rs 1,000 daily.
To change perceptions, Preethi has organised palmyra trails and festivals, including a fruit festival at Madras School of Social Work where artisans from Villupuram showcased dishes. “About 150 people came and tried the food. Many had never tasted these products before,” she said. She has hosted three tours with 20 to 30 participants each.
Her research also took her to Rote and Sabu islands in Indonesia, where the palmyra, known locally as lontar, is central to identity. She cited the Sasando, a harp-like instrument made from lontar, and conical thatched houses in Namata village as examples of community-based tourism.”Community-based tourism can create additional economic opportunities while helping communities showcase their culture and knowledge systems,” she said.
She said tourism could help women earn directly without middlemen and preserve traditional ecological knowledge.
The biggest challenge, she said, is the ageing climber population. “Most climbers today are around 70 years old. You cannot separate conservation from communities. If we want the tree to survive, the people connected to it also need support.”
