Community Projects
Uxbridge Community Nest Box Program
We coordinate the maintenance and monitoring of nest boxes in open areas around the community, providing homes for cavity nesting birds such as Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. Explore the map below to see our box locations:
Special thanks to Ron Hunter and Keld Greflund of Uxbridge Rotary, who kindly built five new bird houses to replace deteriorating ones on the Uxbridge town trails.
Lafarge Regan Pit Birdhouse Project Moves to Goodwood
After 10 years the Uxbridge Regan Gravel pit habitat has become a forest and is no longer suitable for the targeted cavity nesting bluebirds and swallows. A new location was needed and identified by Lafarge's area manager Chris Galway. Green Durham Association (GDA) (many joint NDN members) have stepped up and moved the bird houses to Lafarge’s Goodwood open field property. This new private location has no active gravel operation and is open field and meadow. GDA has indicated they will monitor its success as Derek is stepping back from the action. “We will maintain our ties to Lafarge Regan Pit and keep an eye on Bank Swallows and sparrows which nest there each summer” Derek says. If you are interested in helping out with the Goodwood Project contact Ranald McKay ----ranald.mckay@gmail.com
Uxbridge, Ontario - November 18, 2024 -- Nature Canada has made it official: Uxbridge Township is now one of the country’s “Bird Friendly” cities
Canada’s oldest national nature conservation society announced the Township’s certification, recognizing the efforts made by the Bird Team, Municipal Staff and Council and the local community to preserve and protect Uxbridge’s bird population.
“We’re not a bird-watching group,” Bird Team leader Carly Davenport explained. “We focus on birds because they're a good overall indicator of ecosystem health. When we see birds declining at this rate, it’s our warning that urgent conservation action is needed.”
She cited the case of grassland birds. Some of them breed in Uxbridge Township and are listed as threatened in Ontario.
“Our work extends beyond just protecting birds to benefit the environmental health of our community. It makes Uxbridge a more sustainable place to live.”
The team formed in January and, since then, has put in roughly 100 hours toward earning this designation. Certification feels great, but seeing biodiversity thrive in our community is the ultimate goal.
Learn more about Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly Cities program here: https://naturecanada.ca/bfc
To get involved with Bird Friendly Uxbridge, reach out to them on Instagram, Facebook (@birdfriendlyuxbridge) or find Carly at the next North Durham Nature meeting. Thank you to everyone who helped out and contributed!
Native Plants
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 the morning of Sunday May 29, 2022. 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
- NDN has previously participated in native plantings at the Fields of Uxbridge in conjunction with Uxbridge Rotary, as well as the Uxbridge Countryside Preserve with the 1st Uxbridge Scouts
Invasive Plants Management
- Annually thinning of Scots Pine by volunteers occurs in the Uxbridge Countryside Preserve to maintain the meadow habitat
- In October 2021 20 Dog Strangling vine plants were dug out and replaced with 10 Prairie Cinquefoil and 10 Hairy Beardtongue in the UCP
- Phragmites (Common Reed) education and some removal has been done in the past in Scugog and Uxbridge
Canadian Bat Box Project
Here is the final newsletter of the Canadian Bat Box Project
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