Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that tickets for the last presentation of the Grandfather Presents 2024 speaker series are on sale now. Biologist, educator, ecologist, explorer and author Margaret Lowman, Ph.D., also known as CanopyMeg, concludes these presentations on Sept. 19.
The new Wilson Center for Nature Discovery will play host to the event. Guests will get to experience a “night at the museum” atmosphere, the speaker presentation and book-signing/“meet-and-greet” opportunities.
This season’s Grandfather Presents roster has had an emphasis on those who make it their life’s mission to highlight the challenges, opportunities and good work happening around exploration, nature and conservation.
One of the world’s first arbornauts, CanopyMeg devoted over four decades to exploring forest canopies. Her research and exploration have taken her to more than 40 countries, where she not only tirelessly saves forests, but also mentors girls. Lowman has published over 200 research publications. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Wired, Popular Science, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and many others; and her first book (of 10) received a cover feature in The New York Times Sunday Book Review.
Lowman has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Explorers Medal from The Explorers Club, Garden Club of America’s Margaret Douglas Medal for conservation education, Ecological Society of America’s Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education and the Tällberg Foundation’s Global Leadership Prize.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the pioneering Margaret Lowman to round off our 2024 Grandfather Presents series,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “Her groundbreaking work in global forest conservation is truly inspirational and resonates deeply with our mission to preserve and protect natural resources. We are eager to host her on the mountain and provide our guests with the opportunity to learn from her insights on forest stewardship.”
Her recent successes include partnering to build a canopy walkway in Malaysia (which led to designation as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve site), working with Coptic priests in Ethiopia to save their last remaining forests and speaking to over 3 million kids each year about trees. “The Arbornaut” (2021, Farrar, Straus & Giroux), a memoir of her adventures, is a bestseller.
Copies of “The Arbornaut” will be on sale at Grandfather Mountain’s Wilson Center gift shop prior to the event and on Sept. 19 during Grandfather Presents, as supplies last. There will also be copies of “The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest” by Heather Lang for sale. Filled with colorful illustrations, it tells the story of Lowman’s fascination with the natural world and her journey to protect it.
All four of this year’s Grandfather Presents speakers have authored books, and the mountain has launched a summer reading list to accompany these talks. To learn more, visit www.grandfather.com/reading-list.
Schedule: Sept. 19, 2024
- 9 a.m. | Grandfather Mountain opens for the day, and “VIP Reception” ticket holders are allowed access to the park. New this year, your event ticket will be scanned at one of our ticket booths at the entrance gate.
- 4:45 p.m. | “Presentation” ticket holders are allowed to enter the park and are welcome to explore the Conservation Campus (Wilson Center, Mildred the Bear Environmental Habitats and more) prior to the speaker presentation. New this year, your event ticket will be scanned at one of our ticket booths at the entrance gate.
- 4:45 – 5:45 p.m. | Check-in for all event attendees near the front entrance of the Wilson Center (to receive your wristband for the event)
- 5 – 5:30 p.m. | “VIP” reception in the Wilson Center (“VIP Reception” ticket holders only)
- 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. | Speaker presentation in the Classroom in the Clouds
- 6:45 – 7:30 p.m. | Meet-and-greet/book signing with speaker
- 7:45 p.m. | Park should be clear of all Grandfather Presents guests.
Event Tickets
Two levels of tickets are available for the Thursday night Grandfather Presents programs.
“VIP Reception” tickets include a VIP reception with the guest speaker that features heavy hors d’oeuvres, in addition to the program and “meet-and-greet/book-signing” session after the event. Admission to the park for the day is also included. “VIP Reception” adult tickets are $60 and $51 for members of the Bridge Club, the park’s annual membership program. VIP tickets to the event are limited.
“Presentation” tickets are a more cost-effective option and include only the speaker’s program and the “meet-and-greet/book-signing” session after the event. “Presentation” adult tickets are $25 and $20 for Bridge Club members. Children, ages 12 and under, are admitted free to the event with a paying adult. A maximum of four free children is permitted per purchase.
New this year, Bridge Club members will be required to enter their membership number online to gain access to their discounted event tickets when purchasing.
Tickets for “Grandfather Presents: Margaret Lowman, Ph.D., aka CanopyMeg” are on sale online.
To learn more about “Grandfather Presents: Margaret Lowman, Ph.D., aka CanopyMeg” and to purchase tickets, visit www.grandfather.com/event/grandfather-presents-dr-margaret-lowman-ph-d-aka-canopymeg.
To learn more about the Grandfather Presents speaker series, visit www.grandfather.com/grandfather-presents.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
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Photo credit:
Margaret Lowman, Ph.D._Courtesy of Margaret Lowman
