Canopy walkways are a fantastic source of sustainable income, as they promote ecotourism, education, conservation, and oftentimes lead to exciting scientific discoveries. Most importantly, visiting canopy walkways is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by all ages! This interactive map features many of the world’s most prominent canopy walkways and serves to inspire people to visit these amazing walkways and be immersed in nature.
Note: This map is not representative of all canopy walkways around the world. Created by Eva Castagna, Williams College class of ’22.
Scientists estimate that forest canopies are home to 50% of our land-based biodiversity, yet less than 10% of those species remain undiscovered. Canopy walkways offer a unique, education and inspirational means to explore the treetops, and walkways also provide economic incentives for indigenous people to conserve their forests for ecotourism instead of logging. MISSION GREEN is a new initiative of arbornaut, Canopymeg Lowman, to build walkways in the world’s highest biodiversity forests — not only to save species through ecotourism but also to provide income for indigenous people and exploration sites for the next generation of field biologists to discover what lives in the treetops. This map illustrates most of the world’s walkways to date — many inspired by Lowman’s work. But there are voids – – several key forests still need walkways to conserve their species. MISSION GREEN hopes to fill in the voids on this map, with future walkways to save species, employ local girls and families, sponsor student research, and inspire ecotourism.