In coastal and highland Peru, totora, Schoenoplectus californicus (C. A. Meyer) Soják (Cyperaceae), has played a central cultural role. Totora was used to build boats, houses, bridges, mats, containers, clothing, string, and fans and has been noted for its use as both food (for humans and livestock) and fertilizer. We conducted unstructured interviews in Spanish and followed participant observation methods in Huanchaco and Lake Titicaca located in coastal and highland Peru, respectively. We hypothesized that a plant with high saliency to the local culture would have a high level of associated indigenous conservation practices. In addition, the level of care and management should increase as the resource became more valued or increasingly scarce. We found that, despite a long established tradition of sustainable use, the people were increasingly relying on intensive cultivation of this plant. The value of totora to local residents justified the efforts spent in maintaining adequate supplies of this plant. Increases in population, politics, and yearly variation in climate patterns have created a reduction in available totora and contributed to an increase in management practices.