The John Macoun Marsh is a small wetland

Wetland

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....

 located on the property of the Beechwood Cemetery

Beechwood Cemetery

Beechwood Cemetery is the National Cemetery of Canada. Because it is located in Ottawa, Ontario, the nation's capital, it is the burial site for a number of statesmen as well as a large number of mayors of the city. A woodland cemetery founded in 1873, it is 160 acres and is the largest cemetery...

, in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Under the supervision of teacher Michael Léveillé, the students of St. Laurent Academy, a private school situated across the street from the marsh, have adopted the marsh as a research and conservation area. In 2004, Educarium joined with Jean Vanier Catholic School to continue the work. To date, almost 1268 species have been recorded here.

In 2006, the Macoun Marsh team won international recognition in the Volvo Adventure. The Volvo Adventure is an environmental award connected to the United Nations Environmental Program.

The marsh name honours Canadian naturalist John Macoun

John Macoun

John Macoun was an Irish-born Canadian naturalist.- Early life :Macoun was born in Magheralin, County Down, Ireland in 1831, the third child of James Macoun and Anne Jane Nevin. In 1850 the worsening economic situation in Ireland led his family to emigrate to Canada, where he settled in Seymour...

, and was chosen by the students of Educarium.

In 2009, the Macoun Marsh team built connections with international youth groups to create the Second International Youth Symposium for Biodiverity. This event brought youth from Barbados, Canada, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, and the United States together to share their biodiversity projects. This event was held in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. They also began work on a Youth Accord (First written in 2005 in Mexico) to present in Japan for the International Year for Biodiversity in 2010.