Can a great scientist be a great parent? Dr. Meg Lowman, director of environmental initiatives and professor of biology and environmental studies at New College of Florida, has spent more than two decades combining these tasks. The renowned canopy biologist, and former Earthwatch principal investigator of canopy studies in Queensland, Australia, has made her scientific career into a family adventure with rich rewards for all parties. Lowman's new book, It's a Jungle Up There, chronicles her journey of discovery and her children's extraordinary experiences growing up immersed in nature and in the quest for scientific knowledge.
Co-authored by Lowman's sons, Eddie and James Burgess, It's a Jungle Up There tells of the family's travels to Samoa, West Africa, Peru, Panama, India, and other places to explore the most remote forests in the world. Along the way, they count insects, discover new species, explore the ecology of herbivory, and develop new methods for reaching the highest canopies. Driven by a mother's biological desire to nurture her children's future, and armed with scientific knowledge about declining forest health, Lowman feels compelled to devote some of her energy to public education and conservation. It's a Jungle Up There outlines a global conservation ethic for families, one that recognizes the role of parents to ensure the health, happiness, and survival of the next generation.
It's a Jungle Up There: More Tales from the Treetops. Margaret D. Lowman, Edward Burgess, and James Burgess. Yale University Press. 2006