The many species of tropical palm trees provide thick, sturdy leaves that can be used for constructing roofs, and there are also types of trees with very sturdy wood that is used to build boats and houses. There is even a plant called barbasco whose leaves contain a poison that people pour in the river to temporarily paralyze fish, which they can then catch easily with a net and cook as a source of protein!
In the Amazon rainforest, there are extreme seasonal changes in the weather. During the summer months, it is extremely rainy, with massive storms and flooding causing the rivers to rise and cover large areas of land. During the winter months, it stops raining and becomes relatively dry, and the rivers shrink back down to much lower levels. This can make it challenging for people to get around since, depending on the season, roads can be flooded, or rivers can be too low for boats to pass. Another challenge of living in the Amazon rainforest is that many of the towns where people live are remote and far away from major cities. This often means that they do not have good access to hospitals, schools or new technology, and they have to travel many hours to the closest city to get them.
To deal with the seasonal floods, people here have built their towns to be resilient to high water levels. Many houses in the rainforest are built on stilts so that they will not get flooded. People have also developed multiple transportation methods depending on the season––in the wet season, they get around mostly using boats, while in the dry season, they may also be able to use roads.
