John Acorn

John Acorn
Acorn at Edmonton City Hall, 2018
Born1958
CitizenshipCanada
Known forAcorn, the Nature Nut
SpouseDena Stockburger

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.

Television series

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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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  1. ^ a b c d "John Acorn, aka The Nature Nut, to speak at UPEI". University of Prince Edward Island. October 20, 2009.
  2. ^ Entomological Society of America: Entomological Foundation Medal of Honor
  3. ^ Science Contours. 2012. John Acorn wins Royal Society of Canada medal for promoting science. Vol. 27, No. 2: 7.
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