Imagine trekking through the exotic rainforest of the Amazon, a place so isolated that only the daring consider stepping foot in it. Furthermore, imagine scaling the side of the large tropical trees that, to the average N.C. State student, would look like something straight out of James Cameron’s Avatar. Now imagine not just climbing these colossal rooted spires, but living in them hundreds of feet off of the ground.
For many, this is a feat that only someone with extraordinary abilities or with a total lack of vertigo could ever accomplish. A task reserved for those who are perhaps Green Berets, or British extreme survival show hosts. However, for Director of the Nature Research Center at the Museum of Natural Science Dr. Meg Lowman, it is just another day.
“Canopy research mostly refers to studying parts of the trees that we couldn’t study in the past,” Lowman said. “The tops of the trees have a diverse biological population. We’ve discovered insects pollinating that aren’t on the ground and that the leaves on the top are different than the ones closer to the bottom. They are very important to ecosystem services.”
Since the start of the environmental movement in the 1970s, rain forests research has expanded immensely and students at the University have become involved in the work to study how these natural wonders function. Jasmine Velez, a senior in microbiology, is involved in researching tropical butterfly behavior.
“There’s also a lot of different plant life on top.” Velez said. “It’s not as moist and humid at the top because the moisture is held in better by the plants there.”
Australia, Western Samoa, Mexico, Peru, Panama, India, Cameroon and Brazil are all just a few of the countries where Dr. Lowman has done her canopy research. Along with the perk of travel, climbing different trees exposes Dr. Lowman to all sorts of habitats and foliage types.
This past March, Lowman came to speak at the University, where she discussed many of the details of her occupation and what it involved; among the audience was Velez.
“We asked Dr. Lowman to come because her research sounded interesting,” Velez said. “She’s been everywhere. She even took her kids with her. I was like ‘Oh my God!’ She built a path up in the trees so you could basically walk across them. I was really blown away.”
Lowman’s adventure in the forest isn’t limited to climbing trees or encountering venomous critters. While doing her research she also raises her sons, at home and in the forest, as a single mother.
“My sons climbed with me—it was an amazing juggling act,” Lowman said. However, like any responsible parent she was very aware of the risk involved. “Of course there were extra things I was worried about like poisonous snakes, tarantulas and army ants. But family life was great and my kids got extraordinary exposure.”
Along with using her canopy research for the sake of science, Lowman also is an activist in the conservation of ecosystems and has on more than one occasion taken a firm-rooted stance against deforestation. She took extra steps to not disturb the various ecosystems while studying them.
“I liked the way she did her research,” Velez said. “It allowed her to make multiple trips without disturbing the ecosystem there. They also used hot air balloons. Half her research was about having to get up to the top of the rain forest canopies without disturbing the ecosystem.”
Lowman does not just advocate for the conservation movement, but is also involved in various philanthropies and has taken action with Project Ethiopia, which is designed to help fight deforestation in the country. According to Lowman, Ethiopia has already lost 95% of its forest.
“At one point she was in Ethiopia,” Velez said. “She was helping Coptic Christian communities rebuild their forest. She got all of the churches to come and meet with her on a certain day and talk about how they protect the forest around the church area. She’s raising money so that they can build a wall for it so it doesn’t get damaged or destroyed.”
Other projects that Lowman has taken on involve building canopies in India to work on tiger conservation. She also used canopy research when helping indigenous peoples to use orchids as a sustainable source of food.
Ultimately Lowman said she is optimistic about the legislative future of conservation—even more so considering that the new Nature Research Center wing of the science museum will be located across from the Legislature Building.
“We’re located right across the street from the legislature,” Lowman said. “That would be handy if you want to influence policy.”
The Nature Research Center will dedicate itself to giving the public access to knowledge of the latest advancements in environmental research. Additionally, it will partner with various political organizations, universities, corporations and private foundations.
Lowman also said she believes that students have the ability to influence policies for forest conservation.
“The power of a letter from a student is 10 times more power than a letter from a professor.”
More Information about Dr. Lowman and her research can be found at: http://www.canopymeg.com/