The 28th Virginia Festival of the Book – perhaps the most exciting annual literary happening in the Charlottesville area – is coming in March, and once again, one of its unique events is sponsored by WCBR.

The festival, which this year will occur March 16-20 in a “hybrid” format – some in-person and some streaming by video – brings together writers and readers by the thousands to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture. Featuring both the March festival plus the year-round Shelf Life virtual event series, the program offers something for readers of all levels and interests.

On Wednesday, March 16, at noon, Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge will sponsor a virtual program featuring two leading conservationists in a session titled “Seeing Trees, Saving the Great Forests:”

• Meg Lowman, author of The Arbornaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us.
• John W. Reid, co-author of Ever Green: Saving Big Forests to Save the Planet.

National Geographic has nicknamed Meg Lowman the “Real-Life Lorax.” The biologist, botanist, and conservationist is also known as “CanopyMeg.” The “eighth continent” she is known for studying and celebrating is the world’s treetops. As a graduate student exploring the rain forests of Australia, Lowman was unsatisfied with the usual methods of studying the foliage. So she put together a “climbing kit:” a harness made from an old seat belt, hundreds of feet of rope, and a tool belt for her pencils and rulers. And so she disappeared into the treetops.

Forty years later, she remains one of the world’s foremost “arbornauts.”

Economist John W. Reid co-wrote Ever Green with celebrated biologist Thomas E. Lovejoy. It is an inspiring call to action to conserve Earth’s irreplaceable wild woods, counteract climate change, and save the planet.

Reid and Lovejoy argue that five “megaforests” around the globe are vital to preserving global biodiversity, thousands of cultures, and a stable climate. The book offers practical solutions to address the biggest challenges these forests face, from vastly expanding protected areas, to supporting indigenous forest stewards, to planning smarter road networks.

To learn more and register to attend, go to this page at the Festival website.

As always, this event sponsored by WCBR – and the entire Festival –  is free. For more information, go to https://www.vabook.org/. The Virginia Festival of the Book is a program of Virginia Humanities.