Founded in 1879, the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club is the oldest natural history club in Canada. Over 800 members have interests in all aspects of the natural world, from birding to botanizing, investigation to publication, conservation to cooperation. We hope you'll find something here to suit your interests.

OUR OBJECTIVES

• To promote the appreciation, preservation, and conservation of Canada's natural heritage
• To encourage investigation, publish the results of research in all fields of natural history, and diffuse the information as widely as possible
• To support and cooperate with organizations engaged in preserving, maintaining or restoring environments of high quality for living things.

Regular visitors will want to check the "bulletin board" at the left and the features boxes at the right for news and new postings.

Coming events

The OFNC's Lectures and Excursions Committee plans an extensive program of monthly meetings, workshops, day trips, and longer excursions for the education and interest of our members.

Almost every weekend all year round, you can join a knowledgeable nature buff on an excursion to one of the many conservation areas in our region. Learn to identify some of the hundreds of birds that frequent our lakes, fields, and forests; wade through a marsh searching for amphibians; or take a leisurely stroll with fellow nature lovers.

The Education and Publicity Committee will provide walk leaders, speakers, and slide show presentations on request to non-member groups such as churches, senior citizen homes, Scouts, Guides, etc.

Birding

Ottawa has a rich and varied birding community. The Birds Committee coordinates and encourages birding related activities both within and outside the Club. It has a relatively large membership of involved volunteers and is constantly seeking new participants. There are always new things, large and small, just waiting for a volunteer. Contact the Birds Committee.

On a continuing basis, the committee conducts bird study sessions, manages five winter feeding stations, organizes bird counts, maintains records of unusual sightings and produces the club checklists.

Keen birders will also want to check the status line for the latest reports of sightings of interest in the National Capital Region: (613) 860-9000. See instructions. The taped message is updated regularly with local sightings and the more unusual occurrences outside the region. See transcripts.

Birders may want to see the Ottawa checklist, find a bird or birding location or report a rare bird.

Downtown Ottawa hosts a breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons. Each year the Birds Committee organizes a FalconWatch where volunteers assist the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources by monitoring the fledglings through the time of their first flights.

Publications

The OFNC's two primary publications are

• The Canadian Field-Naturalist, a quarterly journal devoted to reporting scientific research in all fields of natural history relevant to Canada
• Trail & Landscape, a quarterly newsletter for club members, containing articles on the natural history of the Ottawa Valley and giving details of club activities.

In addition, the OFNC sponsors a number of special publications on the natural history and environment of the national capital region. Please check our catalogue for information about ordering this material and back issues of The Canadian Field-Naturalist and Trail & Landscape.

Fletcher Wildlife Garden

The Fletcher Wildlife Garden is a long-term project of the OFNC. Its goal is to restore wildlife habitat in an area that is only minutes from the centre of Ottawa. Besides being readily accessible to naturalists, gardeners, schoolchildren, and other residents of the city and its suburbs, the FWG site encompasses a variety of natural habitats. Volunteers are working to restore and enhance these and other areas to provide a wide range of potential homes for regional wildlife.

Conservation

All OFNC activities — the excursions and meetings, the publications, the bird count, the Macoun Club, etc. — depend on the continued existence of a natural environment where the astonishing happenings we call "nature" can continue to happen. The Conservation Committee's job is to be alert to human influences that are damaging to the natural environment and to advise OFNC members and the executive about what actions we can take, both as individuals and collectively.

In addition to local issues, OFNC supports conservation efforts on a broader scale through affiliation with organizations such as Ontario Nature and Canadian Nature Federation.

Awards

Each year, the OFNC recognizes the special contributions of some of its members for in terms of service, conservation, and natural history. The Awards Committee calls for and accepts nominations from members, prepares citations and organizes the awards ceremony, which takes place at the annual soirée in April. For descriptions of the various awards and a bit of history, click here.

Macoun Club for Young Naturalists

The Macoun Field Club is a nature club for kids ages 9-18. The Macoun Field Club opens kids' eyes to nature's intricate world — from the tallest tree right down to the tiniest pond mite. The Macoun Field Club is truly a unique organization; not only can kids get together and meet other children who enjoy outdoor adventure, but they learn to appreciate nature in a new dimension.

Committees

The club's operations are overseen by a Council made up of elected members and the chairs of the various committees. Individual activities are undertaken by club members participating in standing committees.

Become a member

The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club is a volunteer, non-profit organization. The objectives of the club are to promote the appreciation, preservation, and conservation of Canada's natural heritage and to encourage investigation and dissemination of the results of research in all fields of natural history.

Membership in the club is open to anyone who shares our interest in nature.