TREE intern, Ricardo Rengifo, visited Sarasota, Florida as part of his canopy ecology and environmental education internship. Ricardo spoke at local elementary schools, explaining the importance of rain forest conservation. He also starred at the regional Earth Day festival, giving demonstrations with his blowgun to many children of all ages (including their parents). Ricardo worked at New college, learning from Dr. Lowman and her students about canopy ecology and new advances in environmental education outreach. As part of his internship, Ricardo will also travel to Washington DC, Charlotte NC, Minneapolis MN, and Chicago IL for school talks and to meet with tropical conservation biologists.

Ricardo thanks all the TREE donors who kindly sponsored his first-ever trip out of the Amazon jungle to visit the United States.

Photos:

[Show as slideshow]

Dear Dr. Water Bear answers your questions about Water Bears (Tardigrades). Send your questions to:
dr.water.bear@treefoundation.org

Questions and answers will be posted to the Dear Dr. Water Bear category of the TREE Foundation blog.

TREE Foundation Annual Public Lecture 2008

Come and hear about the greatest biological mystery of the last few decades: the search for the ivory-billed woodpecker. Dr. Mike Collins has been on the front lines of the elusive search for this famous “Lord God Bird”. Mike will present data, photos, and the latest information about his discoveries in the swamps of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

SPEAKER: Dr. Mike Collins
TOPIC: Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in the Pearl River Basin
DATE: Thursday, February, 28th 2008
TIME: Talk at 7 PM (Reception at 8 PM)
PLACE: Sainer Art & Music Pavilion - South campus of New College in Sarasota,FL along Bay Shore Road, just south of Ringling Museum of Art grounds. 5313 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL (New College Campus Map)

This lecture is co-sponsored with TREE Foundation, New College Center for Canopy Ecology, and New College Environmental Programs.

Download the PDF flyer.

Imagine yourself overlooking the canopy of the Rainforest!

AMAZON RAINFOREST WORKSHOP
Specially Designed for Travelers Interested in Natural History, Canopy Research, and Ethnobotany
DEPARTURE DATE: JUNE 24 – JULY 2, 2008
Group Leader – DR. MEG LOWMAN

Unique, active, and fun! This expedition is an eye-opening introduction to the environmental and cultural aspects of the Amazon
Rainforest and River System. The program is a third world experience that is safe, comfortable, and accessible. The itinerary
offers travelers a window on scientific discovery. Intercultural interactions are coordinated to be engaging and meaningful.

PROGRAM FEATURES
“This is a non-stop workshop full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”
You’ll be immersed in field experiences at four rainforest lodge facilities in the Amazon basin of Northern Peru:

• Ascend over 115 feet on a 1/4-mile Rainforest Canopy Walkway, one of the few of its kind in the New World.
• Visit indigenous communities and contribute to the well being of people who live on the Amazon River.
• Identify the many ecosystem partnerships of one of the most biologically diverse environments on our earth
• Engage all of your senses to observe the unique flora and fauna of the Amazon Rainforest.
• Use hand lenses, binoculars, maps, taxonomic keys for identification, and simple field equipment with the help of Dr. Lowman and our experienced Naturalist Guides to learn about:
  • Insect Camouflage & Mimicry
  • Neotropical Butterflies
  • Rainforest Canopy Research
  • Rainforest Conservation
  • Neotropical Birds & Migration
  • Ethnobotany
  • Rainforest Ecosystem Comparisons
  • Amazon River System, Geology and Soils
  • Medicinal Plants
  • Orchids & Bromeliads

The 2008 land cost for this workshop is $1898 and the international flight roundtrip Lima ~ $950- $1050.
Space is limited, so reserve your place early! Contact: Dr. Frances Gatz,
Environmental Expeditions, 9335 Fraser Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
Phone: 301-585-7027 or toll free at 1-800-669-6806 FAX 301-585-4899 Email: frances@ee-link.net
For general information see the website http://www.travel2learn.com/4students.htm

For more information view the printable PDF Flyer

From Orlando Business Journal:

Florida’s treasury investment managers will be required to detail their abilities to assess climate risk, under a directive from Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer.

Florida is the first state treasury in the United States to require investment fund managers to make such disclosures, according to a release from Sink’s office.

Under the new directive, investment managers will be required to report on climate risk as part of their semi-annual reviews. Some managers have begun planning for the potential impacts of climate risk in their portfolios, while others have more work to do and need guidance on how to assess potential climate-related financial risks when making investment decisions, the release says.

The goal is to safeguard tax dollars from the risks posed by climate change and to encourage companies to capture opportunities related to the changing climate, says Sink, who oversees the state Department of Financial Services, the state’s $20 billion in Treasury funds and serves on the board of the Florida pension fund, which has $140 billion in assets.

Sink also said she is exploring the creation of a clean energy fund in Florida. Eighteen other states have created similar funds, which invest in renewable clean energy resources, such as solar, wind and biomass, the release said.

Additionally, Sink appointed Margaret Lowman, director of environmental initiatives at New College of Florida in Sarasota, as her science adviser on matters related to climate change.

Another article: State CFO details climate change initiatives

Quote from Dr. Lowman:

“I am honored to contribute my 30 years’ experience in professional science to serve as Science Advisor for Alex Sink, our state Chief Financial Officer. Florida – now more than ever – needs both science and economics at the table to map Florida’s future. As we face challenges such as climate change, water conservation, and obtaining clean energy, I hope that the integration of science, economics and policy will insure a healthy and prosperous Florida for our children.” [Meg Lowman, 13 Nov 2007]

A conversation with Dr. Meg Lowman regarding climate change is in the Fall 2007 issue of Bay Soundings.

You can read the PDF of the article here:
Climate Change & Florida’s Future - A conversation with Dr. Meg Lowman

From Tampabay.com:

MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK - Standing 80 feet above the subtropical forest floor, the swamps and hardwood hammocks don’t look quite so hot and buggy. Still sweating from the short hike and climb, two kids in tow, the gentle breeze makes me forget it’s the dead of summer. But that’s the beauty of the Myakka Canopy Walkway. Even a short visit will leave you with an elevated perspective.

Read the full article 

From Newswise Science News:

Now ecological scientists—well positioned because of their field of study—are stepping up to do their part in getting children back to nature. The Symposium “No child left indoors: Ecologists linking young people with nature” will be held during the joint meeting of ESA and the Society for Ecological Restoration.

Read the full article

Dr. Margaret Lowman, International Canopy Researcher, to speak at

Garrett College
McHenry, MD
Saturday, May 19th, 2007
7:00 pm

Dr. Lowman will be at the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park from 3:00 – 4:30 pm for a book signing and community social.

Please come join us for this unique opportunity!

For directions to the book signing at the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park, see:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/deepcreeklake.html

For directions to Garrett College visit:
http://www.garrettcollege.edu/about/directions.html

The Forest Canopy Walkway is a project by the Western Garrett County State Park Volunteers in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Park Service and Forest Service.To find out more about the project, visit:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/dcldcbrochure.pdf

Additional info on Dr. Lowman:

Meg Lowman (aka Canopymeg) is the Director of Environmental Initiatives at New College, the premier honors college for the State of Florida, with professorships in biology and environmental studies. Meg has developed an expertise for the use of different canopy access techniques, including ropes, walkways, hot air balloons, construction cranes, and combinations of these methods. She frequently speaks about her jungle adventures and about rain forest conservation to educational groups, ranging from elementary classes to corporate executives to international conferences. She received the Margaret Douglas Medal for Achievement in Conservation Education from the Garden Club of America (1999), The Eugene Odum Prize for Excellence in Ecology Education from the Ecological Society of America (2002), election to Leadership Florida (1997), serves on Board of Directors for the Explorers Club, and is part of the senior management team of NEON for the National Science Foundation. Carolyn Shoemaker of the US Dept of the Interior named an asteroid after her (2003). She co-chaired the First and Second International Conferences on Forest Canopies (1994, 1998), and was chief scientist for the Jason Project in Education (1995,1999, 2004).

Dr. Lowman has authored several books about her research and experiences including “Forest Canopies”, “Life in the Treetops” and “It’s a Jungle Up There: More Tales from the Treetops”.