On Thursday, March 8, the McGill school of environment hosted a lecture by Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, a renowned forest ecologist and professor at the Evergreen State College in Washington. The event, which took place in New Residence Hall, was preceded by a round table with Nadkarni and students from the school of environment.

 Nadkarni spoke about her research in tropical and temperate forest canopies, a field of study that she pioneered in 1981. Previous study of forest ecology focused on the forest floor, but Nadkarni began using mountain climbing techniques to reach the canopies. Her canopy research in Costa Rica opened up the field of study and led to the discovery of many new insect and plant species.

 Nadkarni also works extensively in scientific outreach, developing new ways of connecting the public with science.

 “The marriage between science and communication is a very important one,” she said. “We’ve come to a time when forest canopies are being destroyed. I realized that I have a responsibility as a scientist to do something about this, and I decided that what I can do is communicate.”

 Her goal is to reach out to groups of people who typically would not have an interest in or access to information regarding ecological issues.

 “There are many people out there who may never pick up a natural history magazine or turn on a National Geographic program,” Nadkarni said. “[But] there is something really important, really basic about trees that even people with no experience with them can understand.”

 She spoke about a wide variety of programs and initiatives she is involved in that aim to bring ecology to a new audience, and to create a discourse between people with diverse value systems.

 “[I aim] to link the ecological values of treetop forests and canopies to spiritual values, aesthetic values, and social justice values,” Nadkarni said. “We need to think of this as a two-way communication, because that will keep it sustainable. We are trying to expand this to as many fields of science and as many different audiences as possible.”

 Nadkarni’s work with scientific communication includes workshops with artists and school groups, as well as design and marketing of a refurbished Barbie doll called Treetop Barbie, which comes dressed and accessorized like a canopy field.

“Treetop Barbie acts as an educational ambassador to the little girls and families that we send her to,” Nadkarni said.

 Another product of Nadkarni’s vision is the Sustainable Prisons Project, a collaboration between Evergreen State College and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The project began because moss was being stripped in damaging quantities from old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest for horticultural use. To re-grow the mosses, Nadkarni and her students needed a lot of people and space and made use of the prisoners to help with the project. 

 The Sustainable Prisons Project has since expanded to include guest lectures, gardening, beekeeping, recycling, and composting. The project has saved the Washington Department of Corrections around $2.5 million since it began.

 Audience members on Thursday were fascinated by Nadkarni’s life and work.

 “Nalini has been able to truly capture the spirit of what is meant by interdisciplinary—bringing together science, art, music, dance, the media, and more. This is the very spirit of McGill’s school of environment,” Chris Buddle, Professor in the department of natural resource sciences at McGill’s Macdonald Campus, said.

 “She is really inspiring,” Sienna Svob, a masters student of geography, said. “School is really stressful right now and her passion is a great reminder of what it’s all for.”