As the sun rises over the dry stretches of southern Tamil Nadu, silhouettes begin appearing against rows of towering palm trees. Some carry ropes coiled around their shoulders. Others carry sickles and woven baskets.

For generations, these climbers have scaled palmyra trees before dawn, tapping sap, harvesting fruit, and collecting leaves that would eventually become everything from jaggery and handicrafts to sweets and roof coverings.

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, whose doctoral research has focused on understanding how Tamil Nadu’s state tree can be revived through tourism and community engagement.

“I have hosted three tours. In each tour, nearly 20 to 30 people participated. Most of them did not know about the community and their livelihoods. They were overwhelmed to learn about them, purchased the products, and even saved their contacts to place orders in the future,” shares Dr Preethi.

A journey that began in a classroom

For Preethi, the journey into the world of palmyra did not begin in forests or farms. It began in classrooms.

After completing her bachelor’s degree at Ethiraj College and later pursuing an MBA in Tourism, she entered the tourism sector, believing that every place has something unique that shapes its identity. While working with a nature conservation NGO in 2019, she joined a trail focused on palmyra landscapes.

That changed everything.

“When I understood the benefits of the tree and saw communities trying to revive it, I realised there was so much more to explore,” she says.

The idea stayed with her long after the trail ended.

Eventually, while pursuing her PhD in Tourism from Mizoram University, which she completed in 2025, she turned the palmyra tree into the centre of her research — not just as a species, but as an ecosystem connecting livelihoods, ecology, culture, and identity.

More than just a tree

Across Tamil Nadu, palmyra trees stand along roadsides, fields, and coastal landscapes. But according to Preethi, reducing them to scenery misses their significance.

Large communities depend on the tree directly for income.

“There are edible and non-edible products. There are handicrafts, exports, climbers who harvest products, and women who make jaggery. It creates employment at many levels,” she explains.

Women’s collectives produce palm jaggery and craft products. Climbers harvest sap and fruit. Artisans weave leaves into baskets and utility products. Entrepreneurs make jams, squashes, and sweets from palm fruit.

And then there is the environmental role.

The tree helps reduce soil erosion, supports water retention, and acts as a habitat for multiple species. In coastal and dry landscapes especially, these ecological functions become critical.

“It is not only useful for people. Many species survive because of these landscapes too,” she says.

Where livelihoods climb trees

During her fieldwork across Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, and Villupuram, Preethi spent time with climbing communities whose relationship with palmyra stretches across generations.

“There are huge climber communities, almost........

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