John Acorn is a Canadian naturalist. He is a lecturer at the University of Alberta, a research associate at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, and a research associate at the E.H. Strickland Entomology Museum. He is also a local Edmonton celebrity, combining folk music with educational lyrics about the natural world.
John Acorn | |
|---|---|
Acorn at Edmonton City Hall, 2018 | |
| Born | |
| Citizenship | Canada |
| Known for | Acorn, the Nature Nut |
| Spouse | Dena Stockburger |
Television Series
John Acorn became publicly known for his television series Acorn, the Nature Nut. 88 episodes were produced, each focusing on a different aspect of the natural world, and which featured folk songs, whimsical descriptions like Flying Neon Toothpicks in the Grass, and characters like Skibibad Windfield.[citation needed] He was also the host of Twits and Pishers a series about birdwatching[1] that ran for two seasons on the Discovery Channel.
Acorn also appears in recorded displays at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.[1]
Publications
- Birds of Alberta (Authored with Chris C. Fisher and Gary Ross)
- Birds of Coastal British Columbia (Authored with Nancy Baron and Ted Nordhagen)
- Birds of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Authored with Nancy Baron)
- Bugs of Alberta (Authored with Ian Sheldon)
- Bugs of British Columbia (Authored with Ian Sheldon)
- Bugs of Northern California (Authored with Ian Sheldon)
- Bugs of Ontario (Authored with Ian Sheldon)
- Bugs of Washington and Oregon (Authored with Ian Sheldon)
- Butterflies of Alberta
- Butterflies of British Columbia (Authored with Ian Sheldon)
- Compact Guide to Alberta Birds (Authored with Chris Fisher and Andy Bezener)
- Damselflies of Alberta: Flying Neon Toothpicks in the Grass
- Deep Alberta: Fossil Facts and Dinosaur Digs
- Ladybugs of Alberta: Finding the Spots and Connecting the Dots
- Tiger Beetles of Alberta: Killers on the Clay, Stalkers on the Sand
Awards
- 2013 Medal of Honor, Entomological Foundation[2]
- 2012 Royal Society of Canada McNeil Medal[3]
- 2008 NSERC Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion[1]
- 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award. University of Alberta
- 2000 Emerald Award of Interpretation Canada for Gallery Videos at the Royal Tyrell Museum
- 1998 ALBERTA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ASTech excellence in science & technology journalism
- 1998 GEMINI AWARD nomination
- 1996 GEMINI AWARD nomination
- 1997 AMPIA AWARD, Alberta Motion Picture industry awards.
- 1997 Edmonton Nature Centre Foundation
- 1997 Calgary Zoo, Pachyderm Award
- 1995 AMPIA AWARD, Alberta Motion Picture Industries Awards
References
- ^ a b c "John Acorn, aka The Nature Nut, to speak at UPEI". University of Prince Edward Island. October 20, 2009.
- ^ Entomological Society of America: Entomological Foundation Medal of Honor
- ^ Science Contours. 2012. John Acorn wins Royal Society of Canada medal for promoting science. Vol. 27, No. 2: 7.