Nalini Nadkarni Speaks for the Trees

It’s not like people aren’t way into trees; some embrace them, others even live in them. But arguably, neither the huggers nor the Dumpster Muffins of the world do as much for the trees as Evergreen State College ecologist Nalini Nadkarni, who has made a career of defending them. On today’s TEDTalk, Nadkarni tells you stuff you probably didn’t know about the tree canopy (there’s a whole ecosystem up there) and explains why it deserves our attention. The president of the International Canopy Network, a nonprofit she founded in 1994, she’s enlisted dancers, rappers, prisoners, and churchgoers to help her spread the tree gospel. Here’s a sampling of her projects (H/T TED):

• ICAN
  Nalini is president of the International Canopy Network, a non-profit
  built in 1994 to support interaction between all people with a vested
  interest in the state of the canopy. Clearly, scientists aren’t alone
  in the desire to preserve our environment and this project connects
  them with educators, activists and more.
• Biome
  After spending time exploring the treetops at Nalini’s invitation in
  Costa Rica, choreographers for the innovative modern dance group
  Capacitor created a live show and video performance about their
  experience. Nalini was credited as Scientific Advisor.
• Treetop Barbie
  Showing little girls that they can be scientists and canopy researchers
  too, Nalini and her graduate students collect secondhand Barbie dolls
  and outfit them for a day in the field before distributing them to
  eager young minds.

• The Moss Project
  At the Cedar Creek Corrections Facility in Little Rock, Washington,
  Nalini has employed a team of prisoners turned botanists to grow mosses
  that would otherwise be harvested from the wild for the horticultural
  trade. The project has also been great for the inmates, teaching them
  skills that can earn money after their release.
• Canopy Walkway
  At the Evergreen State College, Nalini has been exploring the
  possibility of building a system of canopy-level forest walkways,
  giving students and the public the opportunity to see the ecosystem at
  work. There’s also hope that it will initiate and inspire fresh ideas
  about conservation.
• Trees and Spirituality
  Nalini sees the spiritual value of trees as well as their practical
  value, and in this program she visits local churches and synagogues to
  speak about the relationship between trees and faith.
• Canopy Rap
  Critics have been calling for hip-hop with a positive message for some
  time, and now courtesy of Nalini and rapper Duke Brady, we can all
  enjoy the freestyle rap “Kindle your own fire.” Click to listen.
• Canopy Camoflauge
  This project aims to produce clothes that remind us of the beauty of
  the natural world, and Nalini worked with designers to produce
  prototypes that depict mosses and trees. They hope to market the
  concept to outdoor-oriented retailers, exposing us all to images that
  remind us of the fragile ecosystems we stand to lose.