Book cover of Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology

Book description

Forest canopies have been characterized as one of the last biotic frontiers on Earth: tree crowns have been difficult to study scientifically because access to them has been so challenging. During the past two decades, however, methods for canopy access have greatly improved. In this book a pioneer canopy scientist…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Life in the Treetops as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Meg Lowman became a canopy biologist at a time and place – rural Australia in the 1980s – when the cards were stacked against her, as both a woman and a mother. Finding herself a single parent of two, she takes her children with her as she pursues her dreams as a field biologist.

I loved this book for the blend of science, travel, adventure, and determination we see from Lowman. It was inspiring to witness her strength as she faced challenges that could easily have felt insurmountable. 

I have been fortunate enough to go on canopy walkways through tropical forests and the diversity of colors, shapes, scents, and sounds are fascinating. Lowman describes how the first scientists to venture into the unexplored world of the forest canopy actually got up there and what they found. Lowman tells the story of her own life in the canopy, providing a window into how scientists work, and explaining how she has balanced a research career featuring international travel and motherhood.

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