We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless, while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity. — E.O. Wilson, biologist, Harvard University The world-acclaimed biologist Edward O. Wilson is writing a book for young people called “Letters to a Young Scientist,” scheduled for publication in early 2013. […]
Five Young Laureates announced in New Delhi for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise were announced in New Delhi, India, on November 27, recognizing the next generation of individuals who have what it takes to pursue a great idea to make the world a better place, and make it happen. The Young Laureates join five traditional […]
Most children have a bug period. — E.O. Wilson, distinguished insect scientist from Harvard University The 2012 International Congress of Entomology was held in Daegu, South Korea. Affectionately nicknamed by some of us attendees as the “Big Bug Swarm,” this meeting brought together insect experts from around the world to discuss important scientific issues pertaining […]
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). […]
“Biodiversity is the COOL stuff that inspires a sense of wonder in anyone who looks closely. Saving biodiversity requires creativity, observation, and a lot of perspiration!” [Meg Lowman – Tropical Treetop Explorer, Director Nature Research Center] As a child I built tree forts and fell in love with nature. I have grown up – but […]
There is no such thing as waste, only wasted resources. — Chris Peot, Civil Engineer for DC Water, which treats waste water for Washington, D.C. From toilets to plastics to sludge to food scraps, America is urgently seeking new technologies to deal with waste disposal. The United States currently produces 12 billion tons of waste […]
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 […]
To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. — Helen Keller Twenty-eight citizen scientists from Florida, North Carolina and several other states traveled to the Amazon jungle for eight days in July. Mission: to document defoliation in the canopy for science, and to […]
From the NRC: The inaugural Teen Science Café starts off with a presentation from Nature Research Center director “Canopy” Meg Lowman, a pioneer of tree-top exploration and conservation. In “Going, Going, Gone?” Lowman will discuss the state of Earth’s rainforests, what teens can do to help conserve them, and methods scientists use to delve into […]
