Our Mission
Foster awareness, appreciation, and protection of nature in North Durham: Townships of Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge.
What We Do
We provide educational opportunities and foster awareness of nature, particularly the flora and fauna, as well as earth sciences and astronomy.
We lead and facilitate field trips to learn and experience nature. We promote the protection of nature, biological diversity and sustainability within North Durham.
We carry out projects in co-operation with other community groups, to conserve and protect the environment within North Durham.
Next Meeting
April 28, 2026 - Don River Mouth Restoration with Brynn Coey
7 pm at Uxbridge Seniors Centre, Uxbridge
For years, the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) has been monitoring the aquatic community within the Lower Don River, gathering valuable data on the health of local fish populations. As the Don Mouth Naturalization Project (DMNP) nears completion, these ongoing monitoring efforts are critical in understanding the project’s impact on the area. This presentation will provide an overview of the project, focusing on TRCA’s long-term monitoring of the fish community and sharing preliminary results that highlight the early changes within the ecosystem.
Brynn Coey joined TRCA’s Aquatic Monitoring and Management team in 2017 after earning a degree in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University. From 2017 to 2021, she was deeply involved in TRCA’s aquatic field monitoring, collecting essential biological data for the Don Mouth Naturalization Project as well as many other projects along the Toronto waterfront.
For more on our upcoming meetings, check out our Talks Page.
Next Outing
Saturday, April 11, 2026 - Peepers and Creepers with James Kamstra
7:30 pm - Scugog
One of the first signs of spring thawing is the breeding frenzy amphibians on a warm spring evening. Join James to explore some spring wetlands looking for Spring Peepers, Wood Frogs, and other early-emerging amphibians as they return to their breeding sites to compete for females and lay their eggs.
Registration is required: to sign up for this event or for more information fill out this form. For more information on our upcoming walks, check out our Walks Page.
Announcements and News
Funding for Youth Nature Camps - Spring Application Deadlines
North Durham Nature has funds available to support local North Durham youth in their teen years to participate in nature camps. Here are the programs and application deadlines:
- Ontario Field Ornithologists - Young Birders Camp (Deadline March 23, 2026) http://www.ofo.ca/content/young-birders/camp
- Birds Canada - Young Ornithologist Workshop (Deadline April 30, 2026) https://www.birdscanada.org/discov.../training-and-workshops
- Ontario Nature - Youth Summit (Deadline August 2026) https://ontarionature.org/events/youth-summit/
If you know a family that might be interested, check out our Youth Programs page for more details on how to apply for funding.
Volunteer Opportunities
Need a ride to in-person NDN meetings? Can you be a volunteer driver to help others get to in-person meetings?
In order to make our club more accessible for those that don't or no longer drive, we would like to invite people to contact us to sign up--EITHER as a volunteer driver or to inquire about getting a lift. To make the system flexible and accommodate everyone's busy and unpredictable schedules (and weather conditions!), we would not expect a regular commitment but are willing to organize such arrangements on a month-by-month basis. Contacting us well in advance of the meeting date will ensure a greater chance of facilitation, and we will do our best to match riders and drivers.
Our club services the Townships of Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge so if you live in these regions and are interested, please email the NDN admin team at northdurhamnature2@gmail.com.
Please be a Nature Walk volunteer!
Are you interested in helping out with one of our Walks in Nature, either by leading or assisting with a walk on a topic you are comfortable with? We would love to have you! In addition, we are always looking for new locations and/or nature topics to explore in North Durham so if you have experience or ideas to share, please contact Derek: ndnature7@gmail.com. Thanks!
North Durham Nature Newsletter
Looking for some interesting, local nature content, but you've already finished January's installment of NDN's Newsletter? Well you're in luck! Old copies of our newsletter are now downloadable from our website for your reading pleasure.
Click here to check out seven years of content starting with our very first newsletter back in January 2014, or find the link under the "Friends and Links" tab up in the navigation bar.
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