Nalini Nadkarni is known as the “Queen of the Forest Canopy.” For three decades, she has used mountain-climbing techniques, construction cranes, and hot air balloons to explore life in the treetops of Costa Rica and the Pacific Northwest, documenting biota that are rarely or never seen on the forest floor.
She also studies the effects of forest fragmentation on biodiversity, and has published over 110 scientific articles and three scholarly books. She is a Professor of Biology at the University of Utah, and her research has been supported by over 40 grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society.
Nadkarni is also a passionate communicator about nature to people in all walks of life, innovating science engagement programs that bring together radically different cultures of academic science and groups such as faith-based organizations, urban youth, modern dancers, and rap singers. She initiated programs to bring science education, ecological restoration projects, and nature imagery to incarcerated men and women around the country. Nadkarni is a three-time speaker at the TED Conference. Her recent awards include the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation, and the William Julius Wilson Award for Achievement in Social Justice. She is the subject of the award winning documentary film titled, “Between Earth and Sky.”
Born: 1954
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
Education: Ph.D. in Forest Ecology
Occupation: Forest ecologist – “Queen of the Forest Canopy”
Expeditions: Monteverde, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Jamaica, India, Papua New Guinea, French Guiana, Venezuela
Favorite Place: In the top of a tall tropical rainforest tree!
Best Discoveries: That organisms in forest canopies play important roles in ecosystem-level processes; pioneered canopy access techniques
Favorite Items In The Field: My climbing gear Personal Heroes: Rachel Carson, Linda Brubaker, Joan Baez Hobbies: Running, hiking, snowboarding, woodworking
Website: https://nalininadkarni.com/
Advice: Find authentic connections with other people to spread your wisdom and receive theirs.
