UW News

February 9, 2011

Sustaining forests and ourselves is topic Feb. 24

News and Information

Forests nourish both peoples livelihoods and their spirits, according to Nalini Nadkarni, the speaker this year at the School of Forest Resources annual public lecture. Nadkarni has climbed trees on four continents – using ropes and mountain-climbing techniques, construction cranes and hot air balloons – to study animals and plants that live in the treetops.

Nalini Nadkarni

Nalini Nadkarni

Nadkarni, a faculty member at the Evergreen State College and a UW forest resources alumna, will give the talk “Sustaining Forests and Sustaining Ourselves: Trees as Providers and Inspiration for Our Lives,” Thursday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m., room 147, Architecture Hall. The lecture is free and reservations are required.

Forests enrich our lives in countless ways – ecologically, economically and socially, says Nadkarni, who is known internationally for her work on forest canopies and as co-founder and president of the International Canopy Network.

Nadkarni also is widely recognized for her work connecting people with limited access to science education – such as residents of assisted living centers, military barracks, hospitals and prisons – and was awarded a National Science Board Public Service Award in 2010.

The “Sustaining our Northwest World” annual lecture is sponsored this year by the Lockwood Endowment for Program Enhancement in the School of Forest Resources.