John Richards

Director General
NRCan, Canadian Forest Service, Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton
Telephone: (506) 452-3508
Fax: (506) 452-3140
E-mail: JohnRich@nrcan.gc.ca

Dr. John Richards assumed the duties of Director General of the Atlantic Forestry Centre in September 2003.

John was born and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He obtained his B.S.A. in Soil Science and a M.Sc. in Soil Chemistry and Fertility in 1973 and 1976, respectively, from the University of Manitoba. In 1985, John received a Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from the University of Guelph.

Following his Ph.D., John located in Fredericton, NB, where he worked at the AAFC Research Centre as a Research Scientist. During his 10 year period in Fredericton, John pursued research on the impact of agro-chemicals on water quality, gaseous losses of fertilizers, and fertilizer requirements of forage and field crops. In 1992-93, John worked in the UK as a Visiting Scientist.

John published extensively and authored or co-authored over 40 chapters and numerous other articles in the popular press. John was active in the scientific societies, and served as Treasurer of the Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) and as Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Soil Science (CJSS).

In 1996, John was appointed Director of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in St. John’s, NL. In his capacity as Director, John led several scientific delegations to the UK and participated in reviews of numerous AAFC Research Centres. He also re-aligned the science program at St. John’s following extensive consultations.

In 2000, John was appointed National Science Director of Water and Nutrients. In this capacity, John was responsible for establishing priorities, and setting the goals for all AAFC research on nutrients, animal manures, and water.

John has special interest in fostering collaborative work among science based departments and other organizations. He is a firm believer in increasing international collaboration to enhance Canadian R&D and policy capacity.