The Arbornaut: A life discovering the eighth continent in the trees above us

Description

One of the world's first tree-top scientists, Meg Lowman is as innovative as MacGuyver and as can-do as the Unsinkable Molly Brown. A pioneer in her field - she invented one of the first treetop walkways - she is a tireless advocate for the earth and has spent decades educating citizens across the globe. In a voice as infectious in its enthusiasm as in its practical optimism, The Arbornaut chronicles her irresistible story. From climbing solo hundreds of feet into Australia's rainforests to measuring tree growth in the northeastern United States, from searching the redwoods of the Pacific coast for new life to studying leaf-eaters in Scotland's Highlands, from a bioblitz in Malaysia to conservation planning in India to collaborating with priests in Ethiopia's last forests - Lowman launches us into the life and work of a field scientist and ecologist. She also offers hope, specific plans, and recommendations for action; despite devastation across the world, we can still make an immediate and lasting impact against climate change. A blend of memoir and fieldwork, The Arbornaut is for fans of Hope Jahren's Lab Girl and the work of E. O. Wilson, Jane Goodall, Robert MacFarlane, and Helen MacDonald. Come live among scientists and travel the world (even in a hot-air balloon)! The Arbornaut is the engrossing story of how a nerdy tree climber and the only girl at the science fair grew into an inspiring innovator and international leader.

Meg Lowman, Ph.D. a.k.a. 'Canopy Meg' is an American biologist, educator, ecologist, writer, editor and public speaker. She is the executive director of the TREE Foundation and a professor at the National University of Singapore, Arizona State University and Universiti Sains Malaysia. Nicknamed the 'Real-Life Lorax' by National Geographic and 'Einstein of the Treetops' by The Wall Street Journal, Meg Lowman pioneered the science of canopy ecology. Her motto is "no child left indoors." She travels extensively, conducting research, doing outreach and speaking to audiences large and small.

The Arbornaut captures the magic of that little-known world with its pioneering stories and clear, informative text. Readers everywhere will be fascinated and inspired to learn more about nature, and especially about how we need to conserve the world's forests. ?Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, and United Nations Messenger of Peace The Arbornaut is about a shy girl who loved to play outdoors and became a scientist who educated the world about the abundant life in the treetops. I loved it. ?Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human, Animals in Translation, and Thinking in Pictures This is the most exciting and innovative way of introducing science that I have seen in many years. Everyone will want to read this book. Meg Lowman is starting a whole new movement exploring the treetops! ?E. O. Wilson, author of Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life The Arbornaut is, true to its name, an account of intrepid exploration at the upper reaches of terrestrial life, where branches and foliage touch the sky and all creatures awake to the first morning rays of the sun. ?Wade Davis, author of Into the Silence, The Wayfinders, and One River When Meg Lowman began her exploration of the world of treetops four decades ago, she experienced joy and exhilaration?feelings that come to us in abundance as we turn the pages in her account of this magnificent but still largely unexplored realm. Lowman gives us an exciting, firsthand introduction to some of the things we must come to understand if we are to secure a sustainable future for humanity in these challenging times. A thoroughly enjoyable yet deeply meaningful contribution in every respect! ?Peter H. Raven, PhD, president emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden