Meg loved how leaves burst into the world and unfurled She admired their different shapes colors and textures
After twenty years of thinking about them reading about them studying them Meg wanted to understand them to discover their stories How did they survive How long did they live Why did they die But looking at leaves from the ground gets a rainforest scientist only so far Meg knew she had to find a way to go to the leaves to the treetops WE HAD ALREADY BEEN TO THE MOON AND BACK AND NOBODY HAD BEEN TO THE TOP OF A TREE Before 1979 most scientists studied rainforest treetops through binoculars Some also cut trees down or sprayed them with chemicals and collected the dead leaves and insects that fell to the ground
Meg Lowman had been a leaf detective ever since she was a young girl in the 1950s in Elmira New York Shy and studious Meg rarely spoke in school IT PAINED ME IF I WAS EVER CALLED UPON IN CLASS Instead she found comfort and friendship and quiet excitement in plants She built tree forts and collected twigs leaves and wildflowers to study and identify to press and label swamp thistle devil's paintbrush forget me nots
I WAS LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE IN MY TOWN LIKE MYSELE Meg wrapped herself in nature like a soft blanket
