Dr. Meg Lowman, nicknamed Canopy Meg and called “The Real-Life Lorax” by National Geographic, has devoted over four decades to exploring the “eighth continent” of the world’s treetops. Her research and exploration have taken her to 40 countries, where she works to save forests and also mentors girls. She has published 200 research papers. She built the first public canopy walkway in North America at Myakka State Park in Florida, which is the first public treetop trail. It is a novel suspension bridge and tower providing researchers and visitors with eye-level views of the forest canopy and a spectacular above-the-treetops view of the entire park.

Canopy Meg was the founding director of the Nature Research Center at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Under her leadership, the Daily Planet was funded and built. She oversaw the exhibitions and also hired the staff for the NRC, which was the first museum team in the world with over 50% women scientists.

Her recent successes include partnering to build a canopy walkway in Malaysia which led to designation as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme site; working with Coptic priests in Ethiopia to save their last remaining forests; and speaking to 3 million kids each year about trees. Her best-selling memoir, The Arbornaut, was published in 2021

Musical background and introductory piece: Godi Godar on xylophone

Godi Godar Moteke Molanga was born and raised in the remote village of Ikoko Bonginda in the Lac Tumba region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Godi founded Go Conscious Earth (GCEarth) in 2012 in response to nearby rainforest destruction and managed to convince the government to stop a million-acre logging project in the Congo Basin rainforest. Next in line to become village chief, Godi is intimately familiar with his people and the challenges they face. His passion for rainforest conservation for the benefit of all beings lies at the center of GCEarth’s work and is an integral part of the success of long-term forest conservation.