Naturalist, writer, educator, and broadcaster Briony Penn has been recognized as the author of a book contributing most to “the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia” with the 2016 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional BC Book Prize for The Real Thing: A Natural History of Ian McTaggart Cowan.

The Real Thing is the official biography of early biologist/conservationist McTaggart Cowan, who was documenting biodiversity, climate change, logging, pesticides, and conservation issues before most of us were born; and still relevant today.

“I’m honoured to win the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional BC Book Prize. The prize honours these two great voices for the environment and human health. They both spoke out throughout their lives and continue to speak out through these books and the prizes that acknowledge their work. This is the brightest aspect of B.C.’s colonial history,” said Penn.

Penn is visiting Kimberley and Cranbrook to talk about The Real Thing and share stories about McTaggart Cowan who was known as “the father of Canadian ecology.”

“I’m excited to meet local naturalists of all ages and share some of McTaggart Cowan’s incredible stories and hear local folklore that likely includes Ian. Through telling his story, I’ve met dozens of people who met, worked with, admired, or were somehow influenced or inspired by Ian McTaggart Cowan,” said Penn.

The Real Thing tour will stop down in Cranbrook on Wednesday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the College of the Rockies Lecture Theatre (room 250).

An ecology walk led by Briony Penn and focusing on McTaggart Cowan’s nature journaling techniques will take place the following morning, Thursday, September 29 at 10 a.m. in partnership with the Kimberley Nature Park Society (meet at the Blarchmont Elementary parking lot and bring a journal).

More info can be found at wildsight.ca/the-real-thing. Both events are free.

Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook

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