Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: What group of species is more common in North America than anywhere else? Freshwater mussels. But this unique group of organisms rarely reaches the headlines or even reaches the center of discussion in school biology classes. Even more amazing is the fact that, of the 297 species […]
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences have discovered which bacteria species are most commonly found in our bellybuttons, but have still not discovered what governs which species will be found on which people. These are the first published findings of the Belly Button Biodiversity project led by […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: We left the endless urban sprawl of Mexico City at 6 a.m., along bumpy roads in the mountainous state of Michoacán. It was hard to believe that only four hours from 20 million Mexicans is a winter haven for America’s entire population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). […]
From technicianonline.com: Although many people may avoid or kill bugs during any other time of the year, more than 30,000 people swarmed the Museum of Natural Sciences, Jones Street and Edenton Street, drawn by meal worms, crickets and praying mantises this past weekend. BugFest, the museum’s largest annual event of the year, attracted its biggest […]
From alumniblog.ncsu.edu: Lowman, or “Canopy Meg,” as she is known for her work researching the canopies of rain forests, is also the subject of the cover story in the spring issue of NC State magazine. The story looks at Lowman’s journey from the rain forests of Australia to the gleaming new interactive science center in […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: Twenty-eight citizen scientists from the North Carolina Nature Research Center traveled to the Amazon jungle for eight days in July. Mission: to document defoliation in the canopy for science, and to contribute knowledge of insect biodiversity for conservation. But the overarching, and unexpected, benefit was the inspiration […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: What would we do without trees? They grow while we sleep, and effortlessly provide us with many services essential for life on our planet – from oxygen production to providing food, building materials, medicines and shade. Scientists and educators of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: Coffee, java, morning Joe, black wine, jolt juice, espresso, cappuccino. … A cup of coffee has inspired business deals, exam-preparation, student all-nighters, real estate transactions, truck-driving, dating, and diplomacy. It represents a daily ritual for millions of Americans. Imagine a world without coffee? Several biological challenges threaten to […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: North of Stowe, Vt., along some steep mountain trails of Mount Mansfield, is a two-decade-long research site investigating the impacts of climate change on songbirds. Not surprisingly, the ornithologists leading this project have documented birds shifting uphill to escape increasingly warmer temperatures at lower elevations. Ten years […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: Olympians aim for gold medals; pro football teams strive to win the Super Bowl; actors aspire for Oscars. But what are the metrics of success for natural scientists? They are often defined as personal “eureka moments” after decades of field work, including the discovery of a new […]
