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
February 24, 2026 - The ‘Giant’ Whales of the Gulf of St. Lawrence with Franco Mariotti
7pm - Virtual Meeting over Zoom
A closeup perspective of the magnificent and largest creatures on this planet. Discover the secret lives of Humpback, Fin and the biggest of them all, the Blue Whale. Meet the researcher who has devoted his life to studying them and how he is answering some of their biggest mysteries.
Franco Mariotti is a Biologist, Naturalist and a Science Communicator. He was employed at Science North for 32 years where he developed programs/presentations for the public, delivered hundreds of presentations and developed content for exhibits and videos. Through this work he was able to travel to fascinating ‘wild’ places, such as Tanzania in the making of an IMAX film on Dr. Jane Goodall and to Borneo in another IMAX film on Orangutans.
Note: All current NDN members will receive the Zoom link for this meeting over email. If you're not yet a member or still need to renew for 2026, become a member.
For more on our upcoming meetings, check out our Talks Page.
Next Outing
March 14, 2026 - Connection to Nature with Games with Ken Kalisch
Come outdoors to connect with nature using our senses and through games and fun activities (best suited for ages 6-11). Themes explored may include plant and animal interactions, Indigenous knowledge, nature art, and mindfulness. You will be invited to make and share cedar tea together (families are responsible to bring their own cups).
Registration is required: to sign up for the walk 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.
Not a club member yet, but like what you see? Become a member to receive our most recent newsletters straight to your email.
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