Josef Svoboda CM (16 July 1929 – 21 November 2022) was a Canadian Arctic tundra scientist and botanist, who was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada (2019) for his pioneering scientific contributions regarding the Arctic tundra ecosystems, and his lifelong mentorship of scientists.

[5] Svoboda survived World War II, and developed an early love for nature by his Scout leader.

[4][6][7] Upon release in 1958, Svoboda attempted to continue his university studies with little success before taking on a research role at the Academy of Science in Brno.

[1][7] From 1992 and onwards, Svoboda's research lab has participated in the International Tundra Experiment to understand the timing and abundance of various Arctic flowers across different sites in relation to global warming.

[1][8] In 1993, Svoboda received a Northern Science Award from the Polar Knowledge Canada in recognition of his contributions to the global understanding of plant communities following glacial retreat, and his pioneering approaches in Arctic botany.