Did Guano Make The Inca The World’s First Conservationists?

The Inca recognized the importance of guano and the islands where the so-called guano birds breed as central to the survival of their civilization — and they responded by implementing the first ever conservation effort

by GrrlScientist for Forbes | Twitter | Newsletter

NOTE: This piece was a Forbes Editor’s pick.

Peruvian boobies (Sula variegata) roosting on Islas Ballestas, a group of small islands near the town of Paracas on the south coast of Peru. These rocky islands are an important sanctuary for marine fauna and seabirds like the Guanay cormorant (Leucocarbo bougainvillii) or “guano bird” and the Peruvian booby. (CC0 via Max Pixel)