OSFN Programs
Please note that all Programs, and schedules are subject to change. To avoid disappointment, please check with this site for updates and changes to dates, speakers, locations, etc. We thank you for your understanding in these matters.
OSFN Indoor Meetings are normally held on the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Bayshore Community Centre, 1900 3rd Ave E Owen Sound. There are no Indoor Meetings in July and August. However, until the City of Owen Sound’s COVID-19 restrictions and provincial and public health guidelines change, meetings will be held virtually, via ZOOM. Please see the individual event listings below for more details.
We invite speakers with a wide range of expertise from Grey/Bruce and other parts of the province. These evenings are open to the public. The auditorium is open by 6:30, with coffee and refreshments. The meeting gets under way at 7:00, and may include brief announcements by other organizations as well as OSFN club acitivities, club business, social time, nature sightings and reports.
The club also offers a full schedule of outdoor activities during the year. 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.
Events Search and Views Navigation
October 2021
Water Birds & More, with David Turner
***Postponed to Oct 30th due to heavy rains***Sat Oct 30 9:30-Noon Water Birds & More, with David TurnerA chance to check up on the birdlife around the shores, river banks, wetlands, and more; to learn who has just flown in, who is planning to stay, and who will be winging away southwards soon.Reg: fleshertonartgallery@gmail.com 519-924 3560
Find out more »November 2021
Exploring the Geology of the North Shore, Manitoulin and Lake Superior
Exploring the Geology of the North Shore, Manitoulin and Lake SuperiorJenna McGuire will share what she has learned exploring the geology to the north of Grey-Bruce and how it ties into local geological and cultural stories. (If in person, Jenna will bring a variety of local and northern specimens for viewing.)
Find out more »Birding Around the Bay – Waterfowl and More
Birding Around the Bay - Waterfowl and More with Erik Van Den Kieboom & Kiah Jasper. A fall tradition you won't want to miss, checking the shorelines and the Sound itself with migration well underway. Meet at the front of the Owen Sound Bayshore Community Centre. Register: erikkieboom@outlook.com and/or kiahjasper@gmail.com
Find out more »December 2021
Monarchs: Concerns & Conservation with Audrey Armstrong
Monarchs: Concerns & Conservation - Audrey Armstrong’s great passion is monarch butterflies. This illustrated talk, with photography by Willy Wateron, will include: an update on the status of the population; conservation strategies and recent scientific research concerning monarch butterflies; plus, descriptions of the monarch’s lifecycle here in Bruce Grey, in California and at overwintering sites in Mexico. Learn how you can help with conservation efforts and habitat creation in your own back yard!
Find out more »Annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs)
Annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) Dec 14, 2021 - Jan 5, 2022OSFN members are invited to participate in CBC's across Grey-Bruce. Counts are held on different dates throughout the CBC period in Owen Sound, Meaford, Saugeen Shores, Kincardine, Hanover, Wiarton, Pike Bay, Cape Chin & Bruce National Park. Watch the HTH & E-Heralds for dates and contacts, or visit this link & zoom in to find a CBC near you.www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/cbc/index.jsp?argetpg=mapviewer&lang=EN
Find out more »January 2022
Regeneration through fire: The role of burns in alvar habitat.
Regeneration through fire: The role of burns in alvar habitat. Emma Horrigan, Conservation Projects and Education Manager at Ontario Nature, will guide us through the prescribed burn process recently undertaken at Stone Road Alvar Nature Reserve, on Pelee Island, including the rationales, the risks, and the rewards along the way. Discover too, about an important local contribution to these activities.
Find out more »February 2022
Nordic Ski with Beth Anne Currie and John Dickson
Nordic Ski with Beth Anne Currie and John Dickson We’ll ski over parts of the Grasslands of Sarawak/Georgian Bluffs/and/or Cobble Beach…depending on snow accumulation.Snowshoers are welcome to come along at your own pace.Weather permitting. We will be following Public Health Guidelines.For meeting location details and to Register: bethannecurrie@sympatico.ca or TEXT @ 519-379-8231
Find out more »Zanzibar: A World of Spices, with Pamela Kinchen
Zanzibar: A World of Spices, with Pamela KinchenPart II of A Dream Trip realized, to "See it All – Before it’s Gone!” Three weeks of - “Pinch me – I’m really Here!”
Find out more »Who Made Those Tracks & Why?
Who Made Those Tracks & Why? Jeff Kinchen will lead you on this interpretive late winter tracking hike, you will learn how to observe and recognize Nature’s clues. Snowshoes may be needed for this event. Register: bognors.finest@gmail.com or 519-374-4246
Find out more »March 2022
Members’ Night
Members' Night - Brian Robin CoordinatingA potpourri of OSFN members’ slides, displays, art, collections and compositions focusing on the natural world. A limit of 10 minutes for each presentation is preferred. Register yours with Brian at robin.brian@gmail.com.
Find out more »Hogg’s Falls in Spring with Lilla Fodor
Hogg’s Falls in Spring with Lilla Fodor Join us for a 3 hour spring hike exploring the main Bruce Trail, along with two side trails, as we loop below through Beaver Valley ending at the always lovely Hogg’s Falls, stopping along the Boyne River for snacks or lunch. Along with early Spring plant growth, expect anything from mud to possible ice this time of year, so please wear appropriate footwear. Hiking poles would be helpful, and pack some snacks or…
Find out more »Birding the Waters of the Beaver Valley
Birding the Waters of the Beaver Valley with David TurnerBirding the waters of the Beaver Valley - Tundra Swans (300 plus in 2021) and much more, at birding hotspots in the Valley during the Spring Migration. Register: fleshertonartgallery@gmail.com or 519-924-3560
Find out more »