Trailblazer

John Macoun
1831–1920

Survey Naturalist and Dominion Botanist
Geological Survey of Canada

Dean of Canadian Naturalists

John Macoun joined the Geological Survey of Canada and was named Survey Naturalist at the age of 50, when most people are looking forward to retirement. But retirement wasn't a prospect for this dedicated field naturalist.

Born in Northern Ireland, John emigrated to Seymour Township in Upper Canada in 1850. There he developed a serious interest in flowers and other plants. John also loved to travel, and his collecting expeditions took him to almost every region of Canada.

A self-taught naturalist, he was highly proficient at identifying and collecting previously uncatalogued species. Over time, his collection of samples grew to include more than 100,000 plant specimens. His exhaustive fieldwork, study and contacts with leading botanists in Canada and abroad established him as an expert on the flora of the region.

John preferred to leave the technical aspect of his passion to others. As a result, his specimens often sat for years before they were catalogued and studied further. John himself, however, was constantly active and pursued his passion for nature over the course of a 30-year career, resulting in his appointment as Dominion Botanist in 1881.

“The Professor”

After an early career as a farmer and school teacher in small country schools, John moved to Belleville, Ontario, where his interest in botany really blossomed. He began devoting virtually every spare moment to the collection of his beloved specimens. In 1872, while in Owen Sound on one of his many field trips, he met Sir Sandford Fleming, then chief engineer of the present Canadian Pacific Railway. Sir Sandford invited him to join his expedition, and this connection eventually led to five separate exploratory surveys of the farming potential of the prairies between 1872 and 1881.

“The Collector”

Historian Bill Waiser of the University of Saskatchewan notes: “Whether examining the Yukon, the Alberta foothills, or remote Sable Island on the Atlantic, John Macoun always returned to Ottawa heavily laden with specimens . . . his enthusiasm for his work knew no bounds.”

John's collection of more than 100,000 specimens features approximately 1,000 previously unknown species, 48 of which were subsequently named after him. In addition to the numerous species named in his honour, Canada today has ten geographical features bearing the name “Macoun,” from an island in Quebec to a cape in Nunavut.

The impact of his work as a naturalist continues today. Due in large part to John's efforts, natural history began to be regarded as a legitimate study by the Geological Survey of Canada. His collections helped establish the Victoria Memorial Museum in 1911, which was subsequently designated the National Museum of Canada and today is known as the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Although he suffered a stroke in 1912 and retired to Vancouver Island, he continued to collect specimens and submit reports up until his death, in 1920.

Life Achievements

• 1882 — Named a Charter member of the Royal Society of Canada
• 1860–62 — Member of the Botanical Society of Canada
• 1868 — Appointed Chair of Natural History at Albert College, Belleville, Ontario.
• 1881 — Named Dominion Botanist to the Geological Survey of Canada
• 1883 — Began a catalogue of Canadian plants, followed by one on Canadian birds
• 1886–87 — President of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
• 1887 — Appointed Naturalist and an Assistant Director of the Geological Survey of Canada
• 1981 — Postage stamp issued commemorating the 150th anniversary of his birth and honouring his work as a Canadian naturalist
• 1988 — Official naming of the John Macoun Travel Bursary, first presented in 1986 by the Canadian Botanical Association

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