An endangered species of butterfly has found an unusual set of champions — the inmates of the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women in Washington.

While the number of Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies has dwindled in Washington in recent years,  the Mission Creek inmates are working hard to help the species rebound, reports the Nature magazine blog. By breeding the butterflies in a greenhouse outside the prison, the inmates released more than 800 butterflies into the wild this year, while other local prison groups pitched in efforts to conserve the plants that these butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on. So far, the Mission Creek inmates have raised more than 3,600 caterpillars for next year’s release.

The Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly revival is a part of the Sustainability in Prisons Project, the creation of frequent TED speaker Nalini Nadkarni. Below, check out Nalini’s powerful TEDTalks, on researching animals that thrive in rainforest canopies and on bringing appreciation of nature into prisons.

Nalini Nadkarni: On conserving the canopy
In this talk from TED2009, Nalini describes the unique ecosystem of plants, birds and monkeys that thrives in the treetops of the rainforest. She explains how she’s working to preserve these species through dance, art and bold partnerships.

Nalini Nadkarni: Life science in prisons
Yes — prisoners are confined behind bars, says Nalini Nadkarni in this talk from TED2010. But while they don’t get to experience nature firsthand, they still can enjoy thinking about the natural world. Here, Nalini explains her efforts to bring science lectures into prisons in the state of Washington.

The Sustainability in Prisons Project has impressive statistics so far. According to the Nature magazine blog, of the 238 prisoners who attended a single lecture and were later released, only 2 returned to prison within a year — a very, very low rate.

Watch Nalini Nadkarni’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 700+ TEDTalks.

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As many forms as outreach can take, it seems that today’s new TEDTalk luminary, Nalini Nadkarni, has done them all and then invented several of her own. This tireless champion of the canopy has embarked on projects involving poets, dancers, rappers, prison inmates and even Barbie dolls to bring attention to the plight of our forests.

Giving a sense of the breadth of Nalini’s work, here’s a roundup of some of her most creative enterprises:

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.

Nalini’s efforts to bring the canopy to us all are an inspiration, and proof of how much one small voice can accomplish when it decides to shout its message from the treetops.

Watch Nalini Nadkarni’s talk from TED2009 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 390+ TEDTalks — including more talks about the biosphere.

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Nalini Nadkarni at TED2009, Photo: TED/Asa Mathat

Here’s what people were saying via Twitter:

Tree Researcher Nalini Nadkarni says tree canopies foster biodiversity & keep our global climate stable. — leighleighsf

Mosses that take 50 years to regenerate are being stripped from the Biome for florist baskets — ashdonaldson

#TED They buy thrift store barbies, and dress them up and distribute them as “Tree Top Barbie”. Genius. — SdGeek

ecologist (ted speaker) nalini nadkarni recruited prisoners to grow moss successfully! lots of time. no sunlight. no sharp tools. — jenny8lee

Science and sustainability programs in prisons. Prisons as green thinktanks.jasonsack

TED Live: Nalini Nadkarni “The world of academia is a rather inward-looking one. I’m trying to get researchers to look outward.” — brainpicker

TED Live: @TEDChris to Nalini Nadkarni: “In a totally appropriate way, I think I may be a little bit in love with you.” Me too! — brainpicker

With vision like hers, it’s hard not to love Nalini.

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