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.
Download our 2025/26 Schedule (pdf, 286kb)
go to Program & Event Archives
Open Chimneys
OPEN CHIMNEYS; Enjoy an evening of learning and watching one of Nature’s most amazing aerialists the CHIMNEY SWIFT.Participation limited to 20: pre-register - Peter Middleton (519-376-3242)Dates and times:Tuesday, May 24. 8:20 p.m. ( Sunset 8:55 p.m.)Tuesday, May 31, 8:20 p.m. ( Sunset 9:01 p.m.)Location: Old Courthouse,1235 3rd Avenue EastOwen SoundPlease park on the road and … Continue reading Open Chimneys
Birding and Botany at Kinghurst Forest Nature Reserve
Outing: 8AM Wednesday May 25Birding and Botany at Kinghurst Forest Nature ReserveLeaders: Jerry Asling and Nikki MayThe Kinghurst forest is one of the best maple/beech pre-settlement woodlands left in southern Ontario. It has many features of an old-growth forest. Many bird species call Kinghurst home. Spring flowers and ferns carpet the forest floor.Join us at … Continue reading Birding and Botany at Kinghurst Forest Nature Reserve
Book Event, Potluck, AGM and Presentation – Our Piping Plovers: Where are they at, and how are they doing? with Andrea Gress.
Date: Thursday, June 9Time: 5:30 to 9 pmLocation: Bay Room, Bayshore Community Centre, Owen SoundBook EventThe estate of Lorraine Brown & Andrew Armitage is offering their extensive library collection to club members to support future OSFN publications and the Lorraine Brown Conservation Fund.Come and browse hundreds of books: insects, moths, butterflies, birds, mushrooms, nature, gardening … Continue reading Book Event, Potluck, AGM and Presentation – Our Piping Plovers: Where are they at, and how are they doing? with Andrea Gress.
A Return to Rural Rootz in Spring – A Wonderland of Rocks, Ferns, Flowers and more with hosts Tom and Dee Ashman.
A Return to Rural Rootz in Spring - A Wonderland of Rocks, Ferns, Flowers and more with hosts Tom and Dee Ashman. Celebrating 30 years of Rural Rootz and 25 years of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy Nature Reserve here at Wiarton. Date: Saturday June 11, (alt June 12), 1pm – 4 pmHighlights include Cliffscape Ecology with amazing … Continue reading A Return to Rural Rootz in Spring – A Wonderland of Rocks, Ferns, Flowers and more with hosts Tom and Dee Ashman.
Discovery Tour of Britain Lake Wetland and Woodlands with NCC biologists.
Discovery Tour of Britain Lake Wetland and Woodlands with NCC biologists. June 14, 10:30am to 1:30pm. See some of the special features and also what wildlife is on display during late Spring in the wetlands and woodlands of this newly protected NCC property. Plan to bring a lunch/snack to enjoy mid-tour. Register by email with Megan.Bonenfant@natureconservancy.ca for driving and parking directions.
Railtrail Ramble III, Saturday June 18, with David Morris
Railtrail Ramble III 9:30am to noon, Saturday June 18, with David MorrisWalk the Georgian Bluffs Railtrail east of Shallow Lake (out and back), looking at some of the less common (or at least, less known) flora found along the way. We will explore a different section of the trail this year and are going earlier, … Continue reading Railtrail Ramble III, Saturday June 18, with David Morris
Piping Plovers with Lynne Richardson
Piping Plovers with Lynne Richardson. Visit Sauble Beach to find out about the valiant efforts of these super-cute and super-endangered birds to raise their wee golf-ball sized chicks on a busy public beach, and learn about Plover Lovers too.Register: lynnerichardson@rogers.com 519-599-3618
Saugeen Valley Lookout Visit Nels Maher’s & John Weir’s Fern Garden.
Saugeen Valley Lookout Visit Nels Maher's & John Weir’s Fern Garden. Visit Nels Maher's and John Weir’s Fern Garden. See Orchids, Birds and more on this 40 Acre Naturalized Propertynear Durham. Bring lunch, & enjoy tours by Brian & Clare Maher.Register: brianmaher599@hotmail.com or 705-728-1507
Introduction to How to Attract and Identify Moths.
A Moth Night – An Introduction to How to Attract and Identify MothsWhen: Tuesday July 19, 2022Leader: Alan Macnaughton Time: 9 pm – 11:15 pm (July 20 Rain Date) plus Wednesday July 20 at 7 am to open Moth traps for ID, Photos and ReleaseWhere: Grey Sauble Conservation Administration Centre and Arboretum, 237897 Inglis Falls Road, RR 4, Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 5N6Alan Macnaughton has good equipment and techniques … Continue reading Introduction to How to Attract and Identify Moths.
Indian River Excursion 2022 with David Morris
Date: Saturday, August 20, 2022Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 amExplore the banks of the lower Indian River with David Morris. Emphasis will be on the flora. Note: rough, uneven footing including loose cobble. Meet at the parking lot for the Indian Falls Conservation Area (ball diamond, tennis courts). Limit: 10 peopleRegister: David Morris, 519-376-1304 or davidtmorris@rogers.com
Monarch Tagging Workshop with Audrey Armstrong
Date: September 3, 2022Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pmThis family friendly event will take place on Saturday September 3, (rain date September 4) from 1 to 3 pm at the Isaac Lake Boat Launch just north of Wiarton.How is it that monarch butterflies migrate 4,000 km to a place they’ve never been before? Why do … Continue reading Monarch Tagging Workshop with Audrey Armstrong
Have you ever wondered how dragonflies and other insects survive the winter?
***This will be a ZOOM ONLY presentation***Rosemary Martin asks: Have you ever wondered how dragonflies and other insects survive the winter? What impact will climate change have on these important ecological communities? Drill through the ice with Rosemary Martin to discover the surprisingly active ecosystem that exists below the ice during the winter. Rosemary will share … Continue reading Have you ever wondered how dragonflies and other insects survive the winter?
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. 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. The meeting gets under way at 7:00, and may include brief announcements by other organizations as well as OSFN club activities, 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.