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
September 26, 2023 – Winter Finch Forecasting with Tyler Hoar
7:00pm, Scugog Memorial Library
Tyler Hoar is passionate about finches and has taken on the task of forecasting which finch species will visit us in the winter. In this talk he will inform us about the Art and Science of making a Winter Finch Forecast. He will also provide an overview of each winter finch species and their current movements. “Winter finches” are birds that typically breed further north but erratically move into our area during the cold season which include: Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, redpolls, crossbills, siskins and Purple Finch. Tyler will share a brief history of the Finch Forecast, how it’s compiled and its future goals.
Tyler is an experienced field biologist. During his career, he has studied many avian families including shorebirds, raptors, parrots, and passerines including finches. His work has taken him from the high Canadian Arctic to the deserts of Arizona and the rainforests of the Caribbean.
With winter just around the corner, come and learn about these fascinating visitors. Everyone is welcome.
Next Outing
Sunday October 1, 2023 - Fungi and Friends
Autumn is the time when mushrooms appear in the forest and after a fairly wet summer we are hoping for a good variety. James Kamstra will lead the group and attempt to identify whatever strange and familiar mushrooms are encountered while Lynda Kamstra will introduce you to the underappreciated world of lichens.
To join this walk or for more information, fill out our online registration form
Stay tuned on our Walks page for information on upcoming activities.
Announcements and News
Global Bird Rescue October 2-8, 2023
Global Bird Rescue (GBR), hosted by FLAP Canada, is a campaign designed to raise global awareness on the bird-building collision issue, a leading cause of bird death. During this week-long event during migration season, you are encouraged to participate by searching for birds around the base of your home and work location. Statistically, you are more likely to find dead birds. Your findings can be documented on the "Global Bird Collision Mapper" by visiting https://www.birdmapper.org/ or by using the app (Click here to learn how to use ArcGis Survey 123). If you are fortunate enough to find a live bird, visit the GBR website for details: https://www.globalbirdrescue.org/pages/rescuing-birds.
FLAP Canada's webpage has a wealth of information about preventing bird collisions at your own home: https://flap.org/stop-birds-from-hitting-windows/
North Durham Nature and Green Durham Association meet with Lafarge Spring 2023
This summer marks the tenth year NDN and GDA have been monitoring bird house's in the Lafarge Uxbridge Gravel pit. Over 1300 young birds have fledged over the ten years from this project. The project is one of Lafarge's bodiversity projects being showcased in a global video on their successes. NDN vice president Derek Connelly and Lafarge's Senior Land Manager Chris Galway were both interviewed and filmed and shared their support for the project. Green Durham Association president Liz Calvin, David Taylor and Derek Connelly also met with Tom Baumgarten, Lafarge's Senior Environmental Engineer and passed on ideas for future involvement in restoration of the gravel pit with a grassland/meadow component and discussed the opportunity for Lafarge to be a part of the Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park Corridor Initiative.
Canadian Bat Box Project
Birds aren't the only thing that live on boxes! Karen Vanderwolf is leading a 3-year monitoring program in cooperation with Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Wildlife Conservation to monitor bat box usage across the country. To learn more or find out how to participate or see the latest newsletter, check out the links below.
Program Overview
Building or Buying, and Installing a Bat Box
Project Newsletter Fall 2022
Call for Plywood for Snake Monitoring
NDN is helping Ontario Nature with a snake survey in Uxbridge! For the survey we need 24 untreated 1/4 inch plywood 2 x 4 foot pieces.
If you have any old plywood that we can use that would be great! We hope to set up the snake habitat this fall.
Contact Derek ndnature7@gmail.com if you can help. Thanks in advance!
Native Planting at the Uxbridge Countryside Preserve
North Durham Nature members Derek Connelly James Kamstra, Mark Humphrey and trail volunteer Norine Blyth planted 70 native grasses and 25 wildflowers in the Uxbridge Countryside Preserve Sunday morning. This restoration will help compete with the invading exotics. Autumn olive shrubs from China were found growing in one planting area. Anyone interested in helping maintain these natural areas can contact Derek Connelly at ndnature7@gmail.com
North Durham Nature Newsletter is now Online!
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.
Lafarge Bird Box Cleanout
North Durham Nature met up with Lafarge's Eastern Canada land managers during our annual bird box cleanout at the Lafarge property south of Uxbridge. They came from as far as Montreal for a Toronto team meeting, and the Bird Box project was their field trip. They were keen to learn about the project (and birds) and helped clean out the 48 boxes in the Uxbridge gravel pit on the Seventh Concession. Our project is a one of a kind for Lafarge in Ontario. Our success over eight years with over 80% of our bird houses being used is also significant. Senior Land manager Chris Galway was positive and keen to work with us at keeping the project going and working with us at further restoration of the gravel pit.
NDN Member Receives DEAC Award
Congratulations to Keith Stait Gardner for habitat restoration on his property which resulted in the Dr. J. Murray Speirs Restoration Award!
This award is presented by the Durham Environmental Advisory Committee. The DEAC Environmental Achievement Awards is an annual awards program established in 2003 to recognize and acknowledge environmental achievements of individuals and organizations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors within Durham Region. The awards program has eight categories, which were named in memory of past environmental leaders.
Keith is one of our members who helped us with the "Mouseproof" metal Bird Box construction project donating his workshop space. Well done Keith!
Canadian Bat Box Project
Birds aren't the only thing that live on boxes! Karen Vanderwolf is leading a 3-year monitoring program in cooperation with Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Wildlife Conservation to monitor bat box usage across the country. To learn more or find out how to participate, check out the links below.
Program Overview
Building or Buying, and Installing a Bat Box
Project Newsletter Spring 2021
Project Newsletter Fall 2021
Scugog and Uxbridge TV - NDN Nature Nugget Videos
Mike Duhamel, a NDN resident and creator of both ScugogTV and Uxbridge TV, has offered to video record, edit and post short informative NDN nature videos to help us further share our passion for nature with the local community. If you haven't seen our Nature Nugget videos click the link below, or look for a shared post on our own NDN Facebook page. We welcome you to share our videos with others on your social media.
To see our recent videos, click here.
© Copyright North Durham Nature