Catharine Parr Traill (born Strickland; 9 January 1802 - 29 August 1899) was an English-Canadian author and naturalist who wrote about life as a settler in Canada. In the 1830s much of Canada was still unexplored. There were hardly any universities, and scientists were more interested in practical subjects such as agriculture and mining than in theoretical research. Traill is important because she pioneered investigations into Canada's natural history and, through her writing, opened Canada up for English readers.