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Books by Marion T. JacksonThe Natural Heritage of Indiana Marion has also reviewed and/or edited a number of books, laboratory manuals and articles, both before and after publication. |
Marion Thomas Jackson: a lifelong naturalist, conservationist, educator and Hoosier.
Marion T. Jackson
Marion Thomas Jackson was born on a large farm near the town of Versailles in Ripley County. Working close with the land fostered Marion’s growing appreciation of what the natural world had to offer. His experiences on the farm and the lush countryside surrounding him led him to his lifelong career as a professional ecologist and naturalist.
Young Jackson’s interest in the outdoors made a big impact on his future careers. He attended Purdue University with the intention of studying forestry, but found that he preferred the study of plants to the management of forests. There he graduated from the School of Forestry and Natural Resources with the highest distinctions. He remained at Purdue to earn his Masters degree followed by his Ph.D. in Plant Ecology under the tutelage of Dr. Alton Lindsey - another fine Indiana conservationist.
Jackson's hard work and dedication in the study of ecology brought him to many places, including a professorship (and now Professor Emeritus) at Indiana State University where he taught and researched plant ecology, landscape ecology and natural history. After "retiring," Jackson became a Visiting Professor of Ecology at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College where he continues to teach. His role as educator and researcher has been acknowledged through many awards and
Throughout his life, Dr. Marion T. Jackson has worked closely with many of Indiana's conservation organizations. He is a member of such fine groups such as the Wabash Valley Audubon Society, the Indiana Academy of Science and The Nature Conservancy's Indiana Chapter (where he is both a Life Member and Life Trustee). Programs such as the Indiana Natural Heritage Program, the Indiana Division of Nature Preserves and ACRES Land Trust, Inc. has also benefitted from Jackson's hard work and dedication to our natural lands and the plant and animal species that need these areas to survive.
Jackson's The Natural Heritage of Indiana
Marion Jackson is widely known as the editor of The Natural Heritage of Indiana, the first and very popular survey of the natural heritage and environmental problems of our state. The book contains over 55 essays from the state's leading scholars, teachers and practitioners complimented by images from some of Indiana's best nature photographers.
Marion Jackson's vision for the book The Natural Heritage of Indiana was “a celebration of Indiana’s natural heritage—its natural and human history, its landscape and its life—what it once was, what it is now, and what it promises to be.”
This celebration has continued on in an entirely different, but equally exciting, format with filmmaker Stuart Orr's documentary based on Jackson's 1997 publication. The four-part series was first aired in late 2007, but has continued on in educating the public through additional airings on public television stations across the state, educational materials, podcasts and lesson plans. Visit The Natural Heritage of Indiana's companion website to learn more about this wonderful project.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Stuart Orr (a still from Orr's documentary series based on Jackson's The Natural Heritage of Indiana).
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