Since March 2009, the study of insects that inhabit the forest canopy has a space in the Collserola Park, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. As a pioneering study in the Iberian Peninsula, almost everything is a surprise in relation to phenology and composition of groups and species in the Mediterranean mixed forest. In addition to traditional sampling by Malaise traps, each month I tracked continuously for 48 hours, watching the peaks of activity of insect groups during the day and night, to determine vertical migrations between the canopy and the understory, strata preferences, etc.

Jorge Mederos (Zoology Museum of Barcelona)

From O, The Oprah Magazine, May 11, 2010 and on Oprah.com:

Saw the world from the top of a 16-story tree?

“It’s like climbing to outer space. There are millions of undiscovered creatures in every nook and cranny. Some are two feet long, some smaller than a raindrop. At 165 feet up, I’m the first to see rain on the horizon. There are 1,000 shades of green, and I usually can’t see the forest floor. Sometimes I stay overnight, and it’s too much fun to sleep. The tree’s strong architecture is very protecting. The swaying lulls me like I’m a baby. At night the insects chew and chirp—it’s a symphony by Mother Nature, Times Square in the forest.” — Tropical rainforest canopy biologist and conservationist Margaret D. Lowman, PhD, who began taking her two children up with her into the treetops when they were 4 and 6 years old

Quote online at Oprah Magazine

On January 20-28, 2010, students and families joined CanopyMeg for the Amazon Rainforest Workshop: The Ecology and Culture of the Amazon Jungle. Below are student photos from the trip. (Student logs can be found here.)

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From the rolexawards.com:

The Laureates of the inaugural series of the Young Laureates Programme will be chosen in March 2010 by a panel of distinguished, highly talented individuals. The winners will be announced in April 2010.

Please visit the new Young Laureates programme website to meet the finalists in the inaugural series.

View the list of Jury members here.

UPDATE: 2010 Rolex Young Laureates announced

(Click for larger image)

As part of Earthwatch Board of Directors, I visited the leatherback turtle and the sustainable coffee research projects in Costa Rica during January 2010. This group photo of the BOD is at the Golding Research Center where the turtle project is head-quartered. – Dr. Lowman

Photos from the Amazon Rainforest Workshop led by Meg Lowman on June 24 – July 2, 2008:

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Professor Lowman and New college undergraduates studying herbivory and Ethnobotany in the forest canopy of the Amazon rain forests in Peru. Lowman’s field class tested a hypothesis that medicinal plants in this region would have lower herbivory levels than non-medicinal plants. Working with the local shaman, students measured 20 species for herbivory, and their hypothesis was based on the assumption that plants used for medicinal purposes may also contain a relatively high level of chemicals (which infer the medicinal properties). The results are still being analyzed, but students will take a poster to the Ecological Society of America annual meeting in Milwaukee, WI.

Meg Lowman was the explorer chosen for a classroom assignment by 4th grade student, Colleen Schulken, at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford, CT.

The assignment from the classroom teacher was to create a passport about an explorer.  The explorer could be of the student’s choosing.  Colleen wanted to explore a woman, who is currently exploring rainforest.  After a search on the internet they found Dr. Lowman.

Below are some scans of the passport from the class assignment:

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Photos and Drawings from 2007 Sarasota Arts Festival… (more…)