Welcome To The Owen Sound Field Naturalists

Knowing Nature Better

The Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) advocate and nurture the appreciation, understanding, and conservation of our natural world.  This is exemplified in our motto – Knowing Nature Better. The Owen Sound Field Naturalists were created in 1989 to provide Grey and Bruce naturalists with an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and enjoy activities and programs that would allow them to increase their understanding of natural history and conservation. The club has over 300 members, and is a member of Ontario Nature (ON).

The Owen Sound Field Naturalists meet on the second Thursday of the month (except during July and August) in the Bay Room of the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. We invite speakers with a wide range of expertise from Grey/Bruce and other parts of the province. We try to make the programmes as relevant to Grey-Bruce as we can. These evenings are open to the public.

Find out more about what’s happening in our online programme & events calendar (click here).

Our logo, designed by well-known Canadian wildlife painter George McLean who lives in Grey County, depicts a Hart’s Tongue Fern, a species that is rare in North America, but very common in our region. OSFN’s newsletter, the Hart’s Tongue Herald, is published three times a year.

The club offers a full schedule of outdoor events that get members outside at all times of year, in all types of weather, to search out and enjoy the flora and fauna of our area. Through these outings, members learn more about the birds, plants, mammals and geology of this part of Ontario. We also keep a protective eye on our precious natural areas.

For aspiring young nature enthusiasts, the OSFN organizes a Young Naturalists Club. From September to June, this club of young people gets involved in learning about the natural world. They build and install nesting boxes, visit a local fish hatchery, learn how to snowshoe, and participate in other educational activities related to nature. We also provide financial assistance for a worthy young person to attend a nature-related camp each year.