John McCarthy, S.J.
After graduating from the University of New Brunswick with a bachelor's degree in forestry, John McCarthy entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1983. That same year, he earned a master's degree in soil science from the University of Florida.
In 2004, Fr. McCarthy completed doctoral studies in boreal forest ecology at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral research focused on the structure and disturbance dynamics of the old-growth forests of the Main River watershed, the province’s sole heritage river, and the forests of the Little Grand Lake Ecological Reserve.
The recipient of the 2002 Canadian Environment Awards Gold Medal for his work in boreal forest conservation, Fr. McCarthy is deeply interested in the historic and contemporary relationships between human culture and the natural environment. As a Jesuit priest, he also focuses on how religious traditions, particularly Catholicism, can contribute to the development of environmental theology and ethics. He is currently engaged in a study of epiphytic lichens in his native Newfoundland, which is home to some of the rarest lichens in the world.