Become a citizen scientist! In the Summer of 2012 you can join CanopyMeg in the Amazon, uncovering the secrets of the forest canopy. Itinerary includes 8 days in the Amazon and an optional 4 days in Maccu Picchu. For more information, contact Dr. Frances Gatz (logistics coordinator) at frances@ee-link.net

PROGRAM FEATURES
“This is a non-stop workshop full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

Unique, active, and fun! This expedition is an eye-opening introduction to the environmental and cultural aspects of the Amazon Rainforest and river system in the Amazon basin of Northern Peru. The program is safe, comfortable, and accessible, offering the opportunity for many intercultural interactions, plus science and service field experiences:

• Work side-by-side with scientists on research in of one of the most biologically diverse environments on the planet.
• Ascend over 115 feet on a 1/4-mile Rainforest Canopy Walkway, one of the few of its kind in the New World.
• Interact with indigenous people and see how they use the forest for medicine, food, and shelter.
• Contribute to a Community Service Project to benefit people who live in a village along the Amazon River.
• Use hand lenses, binoculars, maps, taxonomic keys for identification, and simple field equipment with the help of our experienced Naturalist Guides to learn about:

• Insect Camouflage & Mimicry
• Neotropical Butterflies
• Rainforest Canopy Research
• Reptiles and Amphibians
• Medicinal Plants
• Orchids & Bromeliads
• Amazon River System
• Neotropical Birds & Migration

PROGRAM FEATURES
“This is a non-stop workshop full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

Unique, active, and fun! This expedition is an eye-opening introduction to the environmental and cultural aspects of the Amazon Rainforest and river system in the Amazon basin of Northern Peru. The program is safe, comfortable, and accessible, offering the opportunity for many intercultural interactions, plus science and service field experiences:

• Work side-by-side with scientists on research in of one of the most biologically diverse environments on the planet.
• Ascend over 115 feet on a 1/4-mile Rainforest Canopy Walkway, one of the few of its kind in the New World.
• Interact with indigenous people and see how they use the forest for medicine, food, and shelter.
• Contribute to a Community Service Project to benefit people who live in a village along the Amazon River.
• Use hand lenses, binoculars, maps, taxonomic keys for identification, and simple field equipment with the help of our experienced Naturalist Guides to learn about:
  • Insect Camouflage & Mimicry
  • Neotropical Butterflies
  • Rainforest Canopy Research
  • Reptiles and Amphibians
  • Medicinal Plants
  • Orchids & Bromeliads
  • Amazon River System
  • Neotropical Birds & Migration

From Talks@ATREE:

Speaker: Dr. Margaret D. Lowman
Date: January 28, 2011
Time: 4 pm
Venue: ATREE Auditorium in Bangalore, India
Title: UN Year of the Forest – inspiring new stakeholders to reverse deforestation

Abstract:
Rates of tropical deforestation continue to accelerate, and yet the United Nations has declared 2011 as the International Year of the Forest. Our conventional mechanisms of conservation have not been effective over the past several decades, so new and innovative solutions to reverse forest degradation are required. As a canopy biologist with over 30 years of experience, I discuss ways to leverage research and education outreach for conservation purposes. First, partnerships with non-traditional stakeholders are an emerging mechanism for success i.e., religious leaders, corporate and business partners, and engaging women in science are illustrated by case studies. Second, the inclusion of education and broader science communication as an essential component of my research – in particular the involvement of children as future stakeholders and increasing use of social media – have proven effective. The field of canopy science, with its creative toolkit of walkways and ropes that also foster ecotourism, can enhance forest conservation through the integration of economics and ecology to a growing diversity of stakeholders.

Affiliation:
Dr. Lowman is the Director of the Nature Research Centre at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Professor at North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC. She also serves as Vice President of The Explorers Club; Vice President of the Ecological Society of America; Executive Director of Florida’s TREE Foundation; and Cluster Chair for the Sarasota Economic Development Corporation.

LAST CHANCE to join Canopymeg on the Orinoco River, where she is leading a trip jointly for the Smithsonian Institution/Explorers Club. Below is information about the trip:

Download (PDF, 753.26KB)

TROPICAL TREE CLIMBING

Amazon Tree Climbing Expedition – 7 Days/6 Nights

Jan. 16th- 22nd 2011

­Come join us into the rooftop of world’s largest forest!

Have a passion for nature? Have desire for adventure? Looking for that next exotic getaway out of the norm? Then we welcome you to become part of our Amazon Tree Climbing Expedition.

Drift the rivers, wander the trails, explore the canopy.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore, adventure and ascend into some of that last truly wild places on earth.
For more information-
http://www.tropicaltreeclimbing.com
or
contact – Tim Kovar with New Tribe / Tree Climbing Northwest -
email: treekster@mac.com

ESA Press Release:

ESA Ecology and Education Summit to address environmental literacy

Nationally recognized conference will explore progress in science and environmental education

The Ecology and Education Summit “Environmental Literacy for a Sustainable World” will be held October 14-15, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Co-organized by the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and National Education Association (NEA), the event is sponsored by federal agencies, foundations, societies and associations and being held in collaboration with more than 20 national organizations and over 30 individuals. The summit brings together educators, scientists and policy professionals from a wide variety of sectors—including academia, business, agriculture, government, the health industry and the media—to focus on environmental education and opportunities for progress.

“Environmental literacy is essential for creating a sustainable society,” said Meg Lowman, ESA Vice President for Education and Diversity, and Summit co-chair. “As we move into a technologically advanced future, our understanding of Earth’s systems and how humans play into those systems is increasingly vital—the more we know about Earth processes, the better prepared we will be for environmental changes and future resource management.”

Environmental literacy is concerned with the ability to understand ecological, biological and physical systems, as they connect with human systems, and with environmental decision making. The Ecology and Education Summit is moving toward a Decadal Action Plan for environmental literacy outlining immediate next steps and long term goals.

“The Summit will engage educators and experts from a wide range of fields to generate ideas and collaboration and to lay out a specific plan for developing a green workforce and society,” said Carolyn Breedlove, Manager of NEA’s Green Across America, and Summit co-chair. “We have designed interactive strategies to foster discussion and promote creative action.”

The Summit will also feature two keynote speakers, five panel discussions, two breakout sessions and an evening reception on October 14 featuring a poster session, interactive displays and exhibits. In his Keynote Address “Eyewitness to Global Warming,” Will Steger—the National Geographic Society’s first Explorer-in-Residence—will recount his personal experiences observing the effects of global climate change. Will Allen—former professional basketball player, urban farmer and “hero” in the 2010 edition of Time Magazine’s 100 World’s Most Influential People—will talk about the current state of the urban agricultural movement in his Keynote Address “Growing Food and Community in the City.”

Other topics in the Summit include:

• Learning about Complexity and Change: New Foundations for Environmental Literacy
• Turning the Tide: Building a Green Society through Learning and Doing
• Seeing our World Inside and Out: Harnessing New Technologies for Environmental Literacy
• Fostering Lifelong Learning Skills: Empowering Best Practices in Effective Teaching and
• Learning
• Expanding Funding, Strengthening Public Policy
• Environmental Literacy for All

The Ecology and Education Summit agenda is available at http://www.esa.org/eesummit/content/summit-agenda. The Summit is sponsored by the Ecological Society of America, National Education Association, National Science Foundation, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Education Foundation, Tree Foundation, National Geographic and Green Mountain Digital.

Contact: Katie Kline
katie@esa.org
202-833-8773 x211
Ecological Society of America

Below is information about a trip that Dr. “CanopyMeg” Lowman will be leading up the Orinoco and Amazon region in April 2011:

Download (PDF, 753.26KB)

Dr. Meg Lowman was an invited speaker at ArborReal, a tree-house building workshop for the students of IaAc (Institut d’arquitectura avancada de Catalunya) in Barcelona, Spain during May 2010. This forward-thinking architectural institute confers approximately 55 Masters degrees each year to students from over 25 countries, teaching them to incorporate nature into architectural design. With the legandary architect, Antoni Gaudi, as a celebrated citizen in Barcelona’s history, the urban landscape is alive and passionate about raising the bar for architecture and embracing the role that nature plays in inspiring architecture. Director of IAAC, Vicente Guallart, believes that trees as living systems can serve as models for architects to build structures that are living, dynamic systems (like ecosystems) for people to inhabit. IAAC hopes to work with Lowman and the TREE Foundation in the future, to integrate environmental education both into their curriculum and into the landscape of Barcelona.

Links:

• IaaC Projects
• IaaC Invitation Summary (PDF)

Dr. Meg Lowman was a visiting James Martin Fellow at the Center for Tropical Forestry in the Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University during spring 2010. During this time, she conducted workshops for Earthwatch Institute at their European headquarters, directed by Nigel Winser (www.earthwatch.org) . She also lectured for the Environmental Change Institute on Plant-Insect Interactions in Forest Canopies, and on Women in Science — Challenges in Field Biology. She also worked with Global Canopy Programme staff (www.gcp.org) headed up by Andrew Mitchell, whose group has created the Little REDD Book to create metrics for reducing deforestation as part of global climate change strategies.
With colleagues, she visited research projects at Whytham Woods outside Oxford, including their canopy walkway (see photos).
During her Fellowship, Lowman was hosted by world-acclaimed artist Angela Palmer, whose exhibit called Ghost Forest has been viewed by millions of people and called attention to climate change and tropical deforestation. Palmer and Lowman hope to collaborate in future on programs to integrate art and science. For more on Ghost Forests, see www.ghostforest.com

TREE Foundation is celebrating its 10th birthday in 2010, as well as the 10th anniversary of our flagship project, the Myakka River State Park canopy walkway. Over the past 10 years, thousands of visitors have learned about forest canopies by walking through the treetops, and hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to our websites have learned about forest conservation. In honor of our decadal birthday, TREE is launching a tree-planting project for southwest Florida. Beginning on April 22 (Earth Day), TREE is partnering with Turner Tree and Landscape of Bradenton, Florida to plant out four-foot high native live oak trees (Quercus virginiana) at sites that need greening. For every $100 donated to the canopy walkway or to TREE’s environmental education programs, two trees will be planted in your honor. This project will not only add much-needed canopy shade to southwest Florida, but it will also boost our environmental programs with your generous contributions. Thank you, Turner Tree and Landscape, for this partnership!
Thank you for your support of Tree Research, Education and Exploration!

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