Beneficiary: Protected Areas Association of Newfoundland & Labrador, $5,000 award

"My worst day would be to see every wilderness area in Newfoundland
available to development."

A love of the land came naturally to Newfoundlander John McCarthy, who recalls a childhood awakening to nature' s splendour and contemplative solitude. A science buff from an early age, McCarthy earned degrees in forestry and soil science before acknowledging another calling: in 1995, he was ordained as a Jesuit priest.

For McCarthy, science and religion find mutual expression in his passion for nature. His doctoral research on Newfoundland's Main River watershed has transformed the debate on logging in the area. His stunning discovery that the region's small-gap forest features the oldest-known boreal growth in Canada has led to the creation of a co-appointed Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited and Sierra Club of Canada scientific panel, whose mandate is to review the region's ecological significance and determine appropriate forestry development. Activists have embraced McCarthy's revelations, which they hope — in combination with the watershed's pristine landscapes and the abundance and variety of wildlife it boasts — will prove to be powerful arguments against logging.

"We didn't create these forests," McCarthy says. "They are gifts for us to appreciate without covetousness, avarice or greed. We are benefited most by leaving them alone."