Photograph Courtesy Nalini Nadkarni
Photograph Courtesy Nalini Nadkarni
Nalini Nadkarni has been called “the queen of forest canopy research,” a field that relates directly to three of the most pressing environmental issues of our time: the maintenance of biodiversity, the stability of world climate, and the sustainability of forests.
She has spent more than two decades climbing the tall trees of Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, and the Pacific Northwest. In 1994 she realized that there was no central database for storing and analyzing the research she was gathering, so she invented one. This state-of-the-art repository, called the Big Canopy Database, is credited with speeding cross-disciplinary collaboration just as a common database revolutionized the mapping of the human genome.
Nadkarni, a professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, is known for using nontraditional pathways to raise awareness of nature’s importance, working with prisoners, artists, dancers, musicians, and even loggers. Her work has been featured in Glamour, National Geographic, on TV, and in a giant-screen film, as well as in traditional science publications.
Presentation Topics
Between Earth and Sky: Our Intimate Connection With Trees
Drawing from her 2008 book of the same name, Nadkarni presents a rich tapestry of personal stories celebrating profound connections we have with trees: the dazzling array of goods and services they provide, their role in commerce and medicine, and the powerful lessons they hold for us.
The Power of Diversity: In the Rain Forest and in the Workplace
Explore biodiversity at work in the forest and through cleverly drawn parallels with everyday life. This presentation emphasizes the strength we gain when diverse forces come together and enhance the value of one another.
Rain Forest Research From Roots to Treetops
Find out how and why ecologists study the complex world of tropical rain forests.
Branching Out
This project, funded by the National Geographic Conservation Trust, brings together scientists, artists, Native Americans, and blind people to document, celebrate, and conserve nature in the Pacific Northwest and Costa Rica.
Arboreal Images in Art, Myth, Religion, and Poetry
In this lyrical presentation Nadkarni explores the use of trees as an integrative cross-cultural theme in literature, film, medicine, religion, mathematics, and popular culture.
Learn More About Nalini:
National Science Foundation: Inmates Conduct Ecological Research on Slow-growing Mosses
LiveScience: Tree-Climbing Scientist Makes Surprising Discovery
A unique ecosystem of plants, birds, and monkeys thrives in the treetops of the rainforest. Nalini Nadkarni explores these canopy worlds—and shares her findings with the world below through dance, art and bold partnerships.
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