The dedicated network of more than 150 local conservation groups helps us bring local issues across Ontario to the attention of the province. Together, we are a powerful collective voice for conservation.
        
Conservation updates for member groups.

Protect the Places You Love on Giving Tuesday

November 27, 2018 is Giving Tuesday, a day for people to give to the causes and charities that mean the most to them. This year, Ontario Nature is participating with a campaign to help protect the province’s wild spaces. For every dollar you give, up to $15,000, our proud sponsor, Ontario Power Generation, will match it. Double your impact for nature: Protect the Places We Love this Giving Tuesday!

Join a Christmas Bird Count in Your Community

Each year, Christmas Bird Counts give bird lovers a reason to relish winter. This year the counting will take place between December 14 and January 5, and the results will inform long-term studies of bird migration and bird population trends. If your group is organizing a public Christmas Bird Count that you'd like us to help promote, contact Noah Cole with your count details. If you are interested in joining a community count, visit our website for a working list of Ontario Nature member groups running Christmas Bird Counts.

Farabout Peninsula Coalition Joins the Nature Network

Please join us in welcoming our newest Nature Network member group, the Farabout Peninsula Coalition. Located 30 miles east of Dryden in northwestern Ontario, Farabout Peninsula is a haven for species at risk. The coalition formed in 2008 to help prevent clear-cutting of the area’s forest and currently works with Eagle Lake First Nation and other local stakeholders toward that goal. You can read more about the Farabout Peninsula Coalition and its efforts to protect this special place in the fall issue of ON Nature magazine.

Who Are Your Nature Heroes?

Join us in recognizing Ontario’s nature heroes by submitting nominations for the 2018 Ontario Nature Conservation Awards. These annual awards recognize excellence by honouring individuals, groups, government agencies and corporations who have worked to protect nature in Ontario. All award recipients will be honoured at our Annual General Meeting on June 1, 2019 at Mohawk College in Hamilton. The deadline for nominations is March 28, 2019.

New Online Guide to Ontario’s Bats

Bats have a bad rap thanks to Dracula and some firmly-entrenched myths about their behaviour. The new online Guide to Bats in Ontario, written by expert naturalists Dan Schneider and Peter Pautler, is here to change that undeserved bad reputation. Full of photos and interesting facts about bats, the guide is an engaging resource for wildlife lovers of all ages and backgrounds. So, let your interest in bats take flight!

Still Time to Purchase 2018 Greeting Cards

There is still time for you to wish your family and friends a happy holiday season with our exclusive 2018 greeting cards. This year’s card features a photo of festive red crossbills by renowned nature photographer Robert McCaw, as well as a heart-warming seasonal message. Proceeds from the sale of the cards support our work to protect the wild species and spaces you love, and help spread our conservation message. Order your cards now before they are all gone!

Events

Nature Barrie
  • Outing to Look for Lake Simcoe Migrants, Saturday November 17 @ 9:00am; meet at the City of Barrie Dock Road municipal parking lot; for more information contact Chris Evans at 705-722-1136.
  • Waterfowl and Migrants along Barrie Lakeshore, Saturday December 8 @ 9:00am; meet at the Dock Road municipal parking lot (2014 Dock Road) in Barrie; for more information contact Jim Coey at 705-543-1866.
  • Barrie Christmas Bird Count, Saturday December 15 @ 8:00am; the count will be followed by a potluck supper at the Northwest Barrie United Church; for more information contact Chris Evans at 705-722-1136.
  • Christmas Bird Count for Kids, Saturday January 5 @ 9:00am at the Tiffin Centre for Conservation (8195 8th Line of Essa) between Barrie and Angus; for more information contact Chris Evans at 705-722-1136.
Norfolk Field Naturalists
  • Winter Birding in Haldimand County, Sunday January 20 @ 2:00pm; meet in Port Dover at the base of the dock on the west side of the harbour; for more information contact Len at 519-428-6796.
York Simcoe Nature Club
  • Aims and Objectives of the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance with Debbie Gordon, Tuesday December 11 @ 7:30pm at Queensville Holland Landing United Church (20453 Leslie Street) in Queensville; for more information visit the York Simcoe Nature Club website.
Orillia Naturalists’ Club
  • Audubon Christmas Bird Count and Pot Luck Supper, Saturday December 15 at the Orillia Museum of Art and History (Peter Street South) in Orillia; for more information or to register contact Fern Splichal at 705-325-2952.
  • Parasitic Invertebrates of Local Parks with Phil Careless, Wednesday January 2 @ 7:30pm at the Orillia Museum of Art and History (Peter Street South) in Orillia; for more information contact Tanya Clark at 705-326-1620.
Saugeen Nature
  • Viewing of The Messenger, Monday November 19 @ 7:30 pm at Grace United Church (310 12th Street) in Hanover; for more information contact saugeenfieldnaturalists@yahoo.com.
  • Snowshoe Hike to Look for Screech Owls, Saturday January 19 @ 7:00pm; meet in the parking lot of Sulphur Spring Conservation Area (261123 Grey Road 28) just south of Hanover; for more information contact saugeenfieldnaturalists@yahoo.com.
Midland-Penetang Field Naturalists Club
  • Breaking Birding Boundaries with Ontario Big Year Record Holder Jeremy Bensette, Thursday November 15 @ 7:30pm at Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre.
  • Audubon Christmas Bird Count and Potluck, Saturday December 15 at Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre; for more information or to register contact Dave Schandlen at 705-526-8320 or schandlen@simcoe.net.
rare Charitable Research Reserve
  • Owl Prowl with Jason Bracey, Friday November 16 @ 7:00pm at the ECO Centre (768 Blair Road) in Cambridge; for more information visit the rare website.
  • Moccasin Workshop with Christine Lefebvre, Saturday November 17 @ 10:00am at the ECO Centre (768 Blair Road) in Cambridge; for more information visit the rare website.
  • Yoga in North House with Jo VanGroningen, Wednesday December 5 @ 7:00pm at North House (681 Blair Road) in Cambridge; for more information visit the rare website.
  • Indigenous Food Garden Presentation with Dr. Andrew Judge, Friday December 7 @ 6:30pm at the ECO Centre (768 Blair Road) in Cambridge; for more information visit the rare website.

Upcoming Deadlines

The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on December 15, 2018. The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2018. Submissions can be sent to naturenetwork@ontarionature.orgPlease note that events can be listed up to two months in advance – allowing others to put it on their calendar well in advance.

Ontario Nature publishes the Ontario Nature Network News every month with contributions from its member groups and staff. Ontario Nature grants permission for use of the information above in member group newsletters. Please credit either Ontario Nature or the member group.

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Photos © Brett Whaley, Noah Cole, Farabout Peninsula Coalition, Noah Cole, Dave Riggs CC BY-SA 2.0, Robert McCaw