In our continuing series on climate change, I talk to Meg Lowman who knows more about trees than most people on this planet. She invented canopy ecology – the practice of studying trees in the treetops – and has worked across 46 countries and 7 continents, designing hot air balloons and walkways and other ways to explore and study this diverse biosphere. 

We discuss her recent book, The Arbonaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us. This riveting memoir takes us from her small-town roots in New England to her work in Australia, where she first climbed trees to study leaves and also, along the way, married an Australian sheep rancher and had her two sons, to her exploration of forests in California, India, Malaysia, Ethiopia and beyond.

Lowman’s prognosis for the future of our forests is grim but her message is clear: “It’s not good enough to plant trees. We have to save the big trees!” One way we can do that is by supporting treefoundation.org, which is working to build ten canopy walkways in the ten most endangered forests of the world – an innovation which not only allows visitors to experience the dynamic life and biodiversity of the canopy but also brings economic and social benefits to the people living near these forests, thus helping the local communities and helping to save their forests.