Owen Sound Field Naturalists

(Bring your own plates & cutlery.) POLAR BEARS IN ONTARIO with Alistair MacKenzie Join Alistair MacKenzie, Natural Heritage Education and Resource Management Supervisor for Pinery Provincial Park and travel to the Hudson Bay Lowlands to visit Ontario's northernmost Provincial Park, the land of the Polar Bear.

Bruce Park naturalist, Scott Currie, will lead us on a tour of the orchids of Flowerpot. According to Scott, the 'showy stuff' is at Dorcas Bay, but the 'rare stuff' is at Flowerpot. We'll car pool up to Tobermory and take the Blue Heron II over to Flowerpot. Cost per person will be in the … Continue reading Orchid Trip to Flowerpot Island, with Scott Currie →

A Christmas bird count for butterflies. For more info: http://friendsofmacgregor.org.

Last year at Age 35, Ethan sold his house, bought a camper van and began an epic road trip around the continent. See the photos and hear the stories, living the dream of a wanderlust photographer. His presentation showcases the best photos, and adventures from his travels, with a sprinkling of humour and adventure.

Join GSC staffer Chris Hachey and hike the Inglis Falls trails to find common and unusual ferns that flourish in the woods along the Escarpment. Meet at 1 pm - Grey Sauble Conservation Parking Area. Register with Andy Koshan, 519-372-9480 or akoshan@yahoo.ca. Limit of 20 participants.

Join Dian Wood on a trip to explore the Oliphant Fen system along the Huron coast. Many fen plants are still blooming at this date: Kalm's lobelia, Ohio goldenrod, smaller fringed gentian, small-flowering purple gerardia, and nodding ladies tresses among others. The trip will start at St. Jean Point, then move to Petrel Point, and … Continue reading West Coast Landscapes: Alvars and Fens →

Well-known botanist and OSFN Life Member Joan Crowe will take us on a walking tour of the streets of Owen Sound to see some of the rare, large and unusual trees of the city. We'll walk some of the routes featured in the OSFN publication Exploring an Urban forest - Owen Sound's Heritage of Trees. … Continue reading Trees of Owen Sound →

Kevin Dance will present results of his Master's Research into raptor behaviour and mortality at a 66-turbine wind facility near Port Burwell, on Lake Erie. HIs findings may surprise you. He will compare his findings with studies in Spain and Norway. Kevin has done monitoring on nearly 20 wind farms in Ontario.

Karst specialist Darrell Cowell will take us on a tour of the St. Edmund's karst cave system. We'll start at the entrance to the system behind St. Edmund's museum, then drive to Little Cove and hike along the shore to the place where the cave system empties out into Georgian Bay. We'll meet at Highway … Continue reading Karst Topography of the Bruce →

Join Fred for the annual waterfowl tour around Owen Sound Bay. With winter approaching, waterfowl are on the move. Target species are loons, grebes, scoters and flotillas of diving ducks. Meet at Harry Lumley Bayshore Arena south parking lot at 10:00 AM for this 4 hour outing. Dress appropriately for a waterfront environment. Bring lunch, … Continue reading Around the Bay Waterfowl Outing →

Join world-renowned bat specialist Professor Brock Fenton (UWO) as he explores the secret lives of bats. His talk will include basic bat biology, echolocation, conservation (including white-nosed syndrome among Ontario's bats), and the relationship between bats and people. Professor Fenton will also share observations that he and his research teams have made both in Canada … Continue reading The Secret Lives of Bats →

Watch the Hart's Tongue Herald and the OSFN e-Herald for dates and information for this year's Christmas Bird Counts in Owen Sound, Wiarton, Meaford, Hanover/Walkerton and Saugeen Shores.