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Amazon Explorer
Citizen Science in the Canopy
Feb. 2012 |
| Why the Amazon? Because our future depends up it! It's a nice slogan - catchy and concise - but what does it really mean? Do we even know what would be lost if was gone tomorrow? The sad truth is that we don't really have an answer. A vast storehouse of new discoveries awaits - what is missing are the people to do it! What role might you play in unlocking the secrets of the rainforest? Wondering if you could be a citizen scientist in the Amazon? Welcome to Amazon Explorer - your source for news, resources, inspiration, and action. |
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See Yourself as a Hero in the High Frontier
Floating along the Amazon River on a clear night an awe-inspiring experience. Gazing just below the sparkling stars of the Milky Way, you'll see the rainforest canopy - a new frontier of exploration in many ways just as intriguing as the universe itself. The canopy is a hotbed of biodiversity. A 2011 report estimates there are 8.7 million species on earth and a staggering 86% of life on earth is still undiscovered. The world's rainforests are home to 50 % of the Earth's plants and animals. And most of these species reside in the canopy. This new frontier, a mere 80 feet above our heads, holds more than just undiscovered species. It may also hold the key to stabilizing our global climate.
As "heroes of this high frontier," canopy researchers discover new species, study ecological interactions, and monitor climate change. Many of these researchers, including this month's expert, Meg Lowman, are committed to involving the public in understanding and exploring the canopy. Through their citizen science projects, these researchers offer each of us the chance to be a Jacques Cousteau, a Charles Darwin, an E.O. Wilson - engaging us in the thrill of discovery and giving us a chance to make a difference.
This month we invite you to learn more about forest canopies and consider how you can involve your network of students, educators, friends, colleagues, and communities in citizen science projects that will further our understanding of life on planet Earth. Use our resources to begin in your own backyard. Or be bold and join a citizen science expedition to the tops of rainforest trees! |
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Ask the Expert: Dr. Meg Lowman 
Dr. Margaret Lowman, or Canopy Meg, has been climbing into forest treetops for over 30 years and pioneered the science of canopy ecology. As an internationally renowned tropical ecologist, she has studied forest canopies on five continents - including canopies in the Amazon. She is currently director of the new Nature Research Center at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC.
Why is it critical for people to understand the importance of the Amazon rainforest - in particular the rainforest canopy?
The rain forest canopy is like the machinery that operates our planet -- gas exchange, home to millions of species, medicines, foods, oxygen, energy production, carbon storage, and fresh water conservation. We need it to live! So, understanding this amazing and complex machine provided by Mother Nature is critical to our health and our future.
You've been an outspoken advocate for "citizen science." What does this term mean and how can students, teachers, and other community members get involved in citizen science in the Amazon?
Citizen science is exactly what it says -- anyone can become a scientist and become a detective of our planet. By assisting scientists who study rain forests (or other ecosystems), citizens can contribute to new discoverties, and also learn how scientists work. Good science drives our economy and our health, so we need to invest in science. Plus, it is fun!!
Join Dr. Lowman's July 2012 Amazon Expedition. |
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What Can You Do?
1. Take it to the Classroom.
Give high school students an opportunity to take their biology lesson out of the book and into the canopy with these project ideas from this Action Bio Science lesson: Forest Canopies: View from the Top
Help elementary and middle school students explore rainforest biodiversity with this interactive, rainforest exploration: Jewels of the Rainforest.
2. Be a Citizen Scientist
Get involved in everything from photographing bees, to watching nesting birds, to monitoring climate. These 26 citizen science projects connect you with scientific efforts to understand the environment.
Become a virtual scientist with these great citizen science apps for your smart phone
Work local, think global - use the GLOBE Land Cover protocol to monitor ecosystems in your community. Share your data with schools around the world when you enter your data in the GLOBE database.
3. Spread the Word!
Forward this email to your colleagues, friends, teachers, professors, friends, and family.
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What are Others Doing?
Nalini Nadkarni is another intrepid canopy explorer. Over the course of her career she has explored temperate and tropical rainforest canopies with special emphasis on the role of epiphytes in canopy ecology. In this inspiring TED Talk, Dr. Nadkarni shares her experiences in the treetops, the importance of conserving canopies, and her efforts to use art, dance, and other innovative partnerships to achieve this goal.
 | | Nalini Nadkarni explores canopy worlds |
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We hope you've enjoyed this issue of Amazon Explorer. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Let us know how we can make future editions of Amazon Explorer even better.
Sincerely,
Amazon Rainforest Workshop Team |
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Go to the Amazon!
Apply for a Scholarship! |  | |
One of the greatest needs for preserving the world's rainforests is a more pervasive understanding of these ecosystems and our interdependence with them. Those who have visited a rainforest develop an unmatched enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge.
Contact Dr. Frances Gatz to find out which expedition is right for you. |
Are you an Amazon Alumnus?  | | Have you participated in an Amazon Rainforest Workshop? If so, you can join Amazon Workshop Online and access classroom resources, timely news, participate in forum discussions, build partnerships with other Amazon Alumni, and more. If you aren't already a member, join today! |
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