Forest canopies house up to 50% of terrestrial biodiversity and account for at least 50% of global CO2 exchange. Climate change and anthropogenic pressures threaten forests on a global scale, but canopy ecology research is still in its nascent stages. Only in the past 40 years have researchers ascended into the treetops, leading to “cloud-breaking” discoveries in forest ecology, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. During this session, we will explore how tree canopies and the animals that live in them respond to environmental stresses and how their conservation can be accomplished. Our goal is to facilitate broader connections among the many aspects of canopy ecology — temperate and tropical forests, plants and animals —- particularly as we collectively grapple with how global changes will transform this environment about which we still have much to learn.