Raising Her Children in the Treetops, Meg Lowman Led Earthwatch Expeditions in the Rainforests of Australia
Earthwatch Institute, Maynard, MA June 15, 2006 - Science is a demanding, all-consuming, competitive pursuit that seems at odds with family life. Single parenthood is a demanding, all-consuming, exhausting pursuit that seems at odds with career success.
But renowned biologist Meg Lowman spent more than two decades combining these tasks, making her scientific career into a family adventure. It's a Jungle Up There, just published by Yale University Press, chronicles her journey of discovery and her children's extraordinary experiences in the quest for scientific knowledge.
On Wednesday evening, June 21, Dr. Lowman will describe her quest at a special Presidential Dinner at the Explorers Club in New York. From Thursday noon to Friday noon, she joins Harvard's E. O. Wilson and other Explorers on a Bio Blitz of Central Park. In-between these events, Dr. Lowman and her son/co-author Eddie Burgess are available for media interviews.
Driven by a mother's desire to nurture her children, and armed with scientific knowledge about declining rainforests, Lowman outlines a global conservation ethic for Citizen Science, the hallmark of the Earthwatch Institute which supported her work for six years by recruiting members of the public to serve as research volunteers in the rainforests.
"Earthwatch projects and outreach had a positive impact on conservation and raising the visibility of rainforests as a precious treasure," said Lowman. "I am totally grateful to Earthwatch volunteers who increased the eyes, ears, and brains that were present in the rainforest canopy to assist in surveying this biodiversity hot spot with me," she adds. "Without these extra bodies, I do not think we could have possibly collected so much detailed information on this complex ecosystem."
Meg Lowman's story appeals to many audiences. It speaks to young women who contemplate a career in science. It provides inspiration for any parent. It calls on other scientists to educate the public about what is happening to our planet. And it makes vivid the beauty of Nature, and how everyone can be pro-active about the very forests that may save us from global warming.
b-roll video sample clips at www.canopymeg.com/video.htm
More about The Explorers Club event http://explorers.org/calendar/view_entry.php?id=8274&date=20060621
About Meg Lowman: Internationally recognized for her pioneering research in forests canopy ecology, Dr. Meg Lowman led Earthwatch expeditions in Australia and was featured in the National Geographic special "Heroes of the High Frontier." She serves on the Board of Directors of the Explorers Club. Her previous book was Life in the Treetops.
About her sons and co-authors: Edward Burgess, available for interviews in New York, is a member of the class of 2007 at Princeton University, where he is majoring in chemistry. James Burgess is a member of the class of 2009 at Princeton, where he plans to focus on engineering.
Praise for "It's A Jungle Up There"
"Meg Lowman epitomizes the Earthwatch model of science and education, inspiring people to join her in the vital quest for sustainable solutions. Her eye for the details in nature, and the promise of inspired young minds, is as sharp as her scientific insights on the rainforest. Earthwatch is proud to have supported her efforts, and thrilled with the results."
- Ed Wilson, President & CEO of Earthwatch Institute
"A most engaging tale of how rich and exciting a scientific life can be."
-Thomas Lovejoy, President, Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment
"This book is an inspiration and Margaret Lowman an original with her fascinating insights on motherhood and saving this planet. But most of all Lowman provides a beautifully written plea for why everyone can and must find a reason for hope.."
-Richard Wiese, former President, Explorers Club
"A lively, readable book that will help educate a variety of readers about scientific research and processes in forest environments, as well as the importance of environmental conservation."
-Ellen Wohl, Colorado State University
Excerpt from Reviews of Life in the Treetops
"Lowman engages the envirophiles among us who grew up watching friendly-nerd science programs like ‘3-2-1 Contact' and who still yearn to brush dust off a stegosaurus bone or personally resuscitate a patch of rainforest or merely see an IMAX film on the rainforest before we die. Her book admirably shows that a woman who is unwilling to accept impossibility can not only rock the cradle. If she can write her own script, she can carry her cradle into the treetops of the rainforest - and rock the tree."
-Liesl Schillinger, New York Times Book Review