Education
Honours B. A. in English Literature, first-class standing, University of Alberta, 1971
(Recipient of Rutherford Gold Medal in English and Governor-General’s Gold Medal for scholarship)
Literary Awards and Honours
Finalist, National Magazine Awards, 2010, for "Return of the Ferret," Canadian Geographic, Dec. 2009
Inducted as Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, 2010.
Recipient, Saskatchewan Eco Network Environmental Activist Award, 2009.
Finalist, Saskatchewan Book Award for Non-fiction, 2008, for Bees: Nature's Little Wonders
Winner, Silver Medal, Nature category, Fore-Word magazine, 2008, for Bees: Nature’s Little Wonders.
Winner, Silver Medal, Animal/Pet category, Independent Publishers Awards, 2009, for Bees: Nature’s Little
Wonders.
Finalist, Book of the Year, Nonfiction, and Saskatoon Awards, Sasatchewan Book Awards, 2005, for Crows:
Encounters With the Wise Guys of the Avian World.
Winner, Nature Book of the Year, Fore-Word magazine, presented at BookExpo, Chicago, 2005, for Prairie: A
Natural History
Winner, Book of the Year and Nonfiction Awards, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 2004, for Prairie: A Natural History
Finalist, Midwest Book Awards, USA, and IBBY Awards, USA, 2005 for Prairie: A Natural History
Norma Fleck Award Honour Book, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 2003, for Wizards
Winner, Children’s Literature Prize, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 2003, for Wizards
Finalist, Willow Awards, 2003, for Wizards
Finalist, Science in Society Book Awards, 2003, for Wizards
Our Choice Selection, Starred (Commended) Review, Canadian Children’s Book Center, 2003, for Wizards, and
2002, for Born To Be A Cowgirl
Norma Fleck Award Honour Book, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 2001, for Born To Be A Cowgirl
Finalist, Book of the Year Award and Saskatoon Book Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 2001, for Born To Be A
Cowgirl
Commendation, Association of Booksellers for Children Awards, 2001, for Born To Be A Cowgirl
Finalist, Nonfiction Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 2000, for Witch
Finalist, Nonfiction Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 1998, for Beauty Queens
Bronze Award Winner, Alcuin Society, 1998, for Mother Nature
Finalist, Nonfiction Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 1997 for Mother Nature
Citation by the American Library Association, Notable Book for Young Adults, 1997, for Cowgirls
Finalist, Book of the Year Award and Nonfiction Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards, 1996, for Cowgirls
Finalist for the Bill Duthie Award sponsored by the B. C. Booksellers’ Association, 1995, for Bird Brains
Finalist for the Science in Society Book Award sponsored by the Canadian Science Writers Association, 1994 and
1995, for Bird Brains and Aurora
Inductee, Honour Roll, Rachel Carson Institute, Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1994 -- in recognition
of life-time contribution to environmental awareness
“Our Choice” designation, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 1991 and 1992, for Trash Attack and Get Growing
Honour Book Award, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada --“in recognition of outstanding achievement in
Children’s Literature,” 1991, for Trash Attack
Employment and Other Experience
Instructor, Introduction to Creative Nonfiction, English 308.3, St. Peter's College, 2007 to present.
Instructor, Introduction to Oral History Methods, Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge, 2010.
Contributor, Owl: a magazine of discovery, 2003 to 2005
Contributor, Canadian Geographic, 1999 to present
Writer-in-Residence, Saskatoon Public Library, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1990-1991
Coordinator of Information and Education, Science Institute of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, N.W.T.,
1986-89
Public Affairs Officer, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, N.W.T., 1984-86
Publishing consultant and freelance editor, 1979-84
Curriculum Department, Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College, Saskatoon, 1976-78