Despite international attention and attempts to preserve the environmental diversity of the Amazon, it is an accepted fact that those who inhabit the forest must be the ones who preserve it. This article presents an analysis of how children in small rural riverine communities along the Amazon understand the importance of environmental preservation and whether they perceive themselves as important participants in the preservation process. Children from two communities in the Peruvian Amazon who have implemented ecotourism projects with international funding were interviewed to understand their knowledge of their lands and their roles in the global environmental crisis.