Nalini Nadkarni

Dr. Nalini Nadkarni is an American forest ecologist known for her research on the treetops of tropical and temperate rainforests. Nadkarni pioneered the study of Costa Rican rainforest canopies, using mountain climbing equipment to access the canopy and conduct the first inventory of its biodiversity. Her research revealed that epiphytes—non-parasitic plants such as orchids and ferns—trap organic material beneath their root systems, forming nutrient-rich mats that rainforest trees absorb through aerial roots. As a forest canopy researcher for four decades, Nadkarni has published more than 150 scientific papers and articles and has been recognized as a National Geographic Explorer at Large.

Nadkarni developed innovative canopy access techniques to study the plants, animals, and microbes inhabiting rainforest treetops in Costa Rica and Washington State, encouraging biologists to explore this "last biotic frontier." She has conducted fieldwork in Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, and the Pacific Northwest, and established the Big Canopy Database to support researchers in managing and analyzing canopy data. Nadkarni is a professor of biology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Her work in the Costa Rican rainforest was featured in the PBS series "The Second Voyage of the Mimi."

Nadkarni is recognized for her science communication and public engagement efforts. She focuses on bridging gaps in scientific knowledge and engaging non-scientists in science learning, with an emphasis on overcoming barriers to research dissemination. Nadkarni created the "Research Ambassador Program" to train scientists in public engagement across diverse venues, including churches, pre-schools, tattoo parlors, and sports stadiums. She has delivered two TED talks—"Conserving the Canopy" and "Life Science in Prison"—and more than 25 endowed lectures internationally. Her TED talks have garnered over a million combined views.

Nadkarni has contributed to bringing science and nature to incarcerated populations. She co-founded the Sustainability in Prisons Project, which introduces science, scientists, and nature to incarcerated individuals and has expanded to facilities in Washington, Oregon, California, Ohio, and Maryland. Programs include recycling, beekeeping, organic vegetable farming, tree planting, and flower nurseries. Nadkarni's initiative to provide nature videos to individuals in solitary confinement was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the best inventions. A National Geographic film crew has documented her work.

Nadkarni's work in ecology and public engagement has been recognized with honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, the Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice, and the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation. She has published over 150 scientific papers and three books, and her work has appeared in Science, National Geographic, Science Friday, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and RadioLab. Nadkarni is the author of "Between Earth and Sky: Our Intimate Connections to Trees," which explores the connections between humans and trees through personal stories, information, art, and photography.