Remembering Dr. C. Mary Young — A Founding Voice for Conservation in New Brunswick

WRITTEN BY ASH NOBLE, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

With heavy hearts, we honour the life and legacy of Dr. Cecilia Mary Young — a passionate biologist, botanist, author, artist, volunteer, and guiding force behind the land conservation movement in New Brunswick and the foundation of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.

Mary passed away on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the age of 102. Yet to those who knew her, or had the privilege of working alongside her, her spirit and the legacy of care she cultivated will continue to flourish for generations.

Drawings of Furbish’s lousewort (*Pedicularis furbishiae*) and Yellow lady’s slipper (*Cypripedium parviflorum*) by Mary Young, a testament to her skills as an artist and her patient dedication to documenting the natural world.

Mary’s life was one bound to the botanical world. She was guided by curiosity, patience, and a deep belief in protecting what is rare and beautiful.

Her lifelong fascination with plants began as she grew up in England, where she would walk over the hills at Blue Anchor with her older brothers and learn the names of all the plants she saw along the way to the coast. That early wonder carried her through a degree in zoology and botany, a Ph.D. in London, and conducting groundbreaking research on DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) resistance in houseflies that has been widely cited, with significant implications for the use of insecticides to reduce diseases such as malaria.

After marrying New Brunswicker Dr. Murray Young in 1954 and relocating to Fredericton, Mary discovered a whole new world of botanical richness waiting to be documented and explored. During the 1960s and 70s, Mary devoted herself to raising their children, but in time she returned to her first loves — biology and botany — and began what would become five decades of volunteer work with the Connell Memorial Herbarium at the University of New Brunswick.

For nearly fifty years, Mary helped curate the largest collection of vascular plants in the province — over 64,000 specimens! With patient precision, she mounted delicate plants, verified identifications, and meticulously catalogued each one. She made important discoveries of rare and threatened species, contributing her own field collections to the record. She knew the flora of New Brunswick as one knows old friends: by the curve of a stem, the shape of a leaf, the quiet persistence of roots.

In the 1980s, Mary turned her energy toward a new challenge — protecting the places where those plants grew. Alongside her late friend and colleague Harold (Hal) Hinds, she began planting the seeds that would grow into the Nature Trust of New Brunswick. As a founding member, she co-authored the landmark “Critical Natural Areas in New Brunswick” report, which became the backbone of the province’s sensitive areas database and informed environmental policy for decades. Under her leadership, the Nature Trust gained public trust, built partnerships, and began protecting ecologically significant sites across the province.

Mary and Hal shared a remarkable partnership that drove our province’s conservation movement forward. As celebrated conservationist and former research curator at the New Brunswick Museum, Dr. Stephen Clayden, reflected:

“Hal had a colourful and energetic personality, with an activist’s bent for starting new projects and motivating others to get involved. Mary hardly needed motivation. I have long felt, however, that her methodical, detail-orientated, quietly efficient collaboration was key to much of what Hal, or really the two of them, accomplished.”

Mary Young delivering a powerful speech while accepting the 2023 Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for Excellence in Land Conservation at Government House at the age of 101.

Mary was not only a pioneer of conservation, but a tremendously kind and generous mentor who inspired generations — through her publications, her fieldwork, and her patient teaching — to value and protect New Brunswick’s natural heritage. Her 2015 book, “Nature’s Bounty: Four Centuries of Plant Exploration in New Brunswick” (illustrated with her own artwork and which she published at age 92!) remains a testament to her skill as a historian, scientist, and storyteller. Even in her 101st year, Mary was thinking of the future. In 2023, she established the Dr. C. Mary Young Scholarship in Biology at UNB to support students passionate about the environment and conservation, a gift that will keep planting seeds of stewardship for years to come.

Later in life, Mary received well-earned recognition for her decades of dedication and various contributions to New Brunswick’s natural world. In 2016, UNB awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Science, and she was named the 2023 recipient of our prestigious Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for Excellence in Land Conservation. Even at the age of 101, Mary delivered a powerful speech upon receiving this award at Government House— all while wearing a pair of worn Converse sneakers.

“Mary Young’s remarkable work has not only enriched our understanding of New Brunswick’s flora but also laid a robust foundation for future conservation efforts,” said former Lieutenant-Governor Brenda Murphy upon presenting the award. “Mary’s tireless passion exemplifies the impact that dedicated individuals can have on preserving the beauty and biodiversity of our world.”

Mary’s life’s work is written in the protected landscapes of this province, in the careful labels on herbarium sheets, and in the students and conservationists she inspired. It is a legacy rooted in patience, precision, and love for the natural world. Without Mary’s advocation and care for conservation efforts within the province, many of the victories we at the Nature Trust celebrate today — and the work we continue to carry forward — would not have been possible.

We extend our deepest condolences to those who knew and loved Mary, and we are honoured to be part of the legacy she helped shape. In her memory, we will remember to stay curious, enjoy our time exploring and searching for plants in the wild, and work to protect what matters most — as she proudly did for so many years.

If you feel moved to do so, donations in her memory may be made to the Dr. C. Mary Young Scholarship in Biology at UNB, or to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick — fitting tributes to a woman who dedicated decades of her life to ensuring New Brunswick’s wild beauty endures.