The president's perspective

Ann MacKenzie, OFNC president

You belong to a very impressive club: the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club - 800 members and 130 years of history. How many volunteer organizations can make that claim? Since January 12th I have had the honour of being the president, a role I take very seriously. Therefore, I decided to include a short note in each Trail and Landscape to share my personal perspective on the accomplishments and challenges of the OFNC.

The more I have gotten to know the many facets of our club, the more I am amazed by its scope and diversity. Those of you who have read Dan Brunton's article on the 125th anniversary of the club (CFN 118(1)) or who heard his talk in December on the 130th anniversary of the club will know what I am talking about. We are the largest field-naturalist club in Canada and the oldest. We are also the only one that produces a scientific journal as well as a quarterly newsletter. Having our own wildlife garden in the heart of the city is a huge accomplishment just on its own. We have been the driving force behind saving the Alfred Bog and helping preserve the Larose Forest. Recently our Club has used bequest donations to help the Nature Conservancy buy land in the Frontenac Arch north of Kingston and the Wolf Grove area near Almonte.

All of this is in addition to our monthly speakers and a diverse schedule of field trips. The young people in the Macoun Club have an outing or speaker every week, organized by our tireless volunteers. The Conservation Committee has the demanding task of overseeing the implications of a growing city on natural habitats. Many of you are primarily interested in birding and focus on those events. What an ambitious set of activities to be kept rolling by volunteers!

As impressive as our past and present may be, it is critical that we are positioning ourselves for the future. Like a house that needs constant upgrades and fresh coats of paint, our club must be regularly examining itself to stay current. Since the early 90s the number of members in the OFNC has been declining. This is a situation faced by many organizations today. Are the activities of our club still relevant in 2010? Are they being delivered in the best manner? Are there changes you would like to see? Are we still serving the Ottawa community in promoting the appreciation of the natural world and inspiring people to preserve and protect it?

As Dan Brunton stated in his article "the OFNC is not a static, hard-and-fast 'thing.' It is a community, an association of like minds that aims to explore and celebrate the magnificent natural world of the Ottawa Valley and Canada."

I look forward to working with all "like-minds" as we consider various paths leading to the future of the OFNC.