Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 25, 2009
• Invested on: June 18, 2010

Nancy Turner is a leader in ethnobotany, the scientific study of different cultures' relationships with plants. Distinguished professor in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, she has specialized in documenting the use of plants by First Nations communities in Western Canada. The result is the preservation of knowledge and an increased awareness of traditional sustainability practices. She is recognized as a generous and dedicated teacher and mentor, and is also highly regarded by environmentalists, Native people and her peers. An award-winning author who has penned more than 20 books, she has helped to make her research accessible to the public through collaborations with museums and through lectures and presentations.