Leader: Sheila Craig
Meet: Greenbelt Pathway West starting at Carling and Rifle Road (parking on the south side of Carling).
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
A maximum of 15 people will allow good views by everyone. Please email sheila.craig [at] gmail.com to register.
We will walk and roll slowly along the Greenbelt Pathway West looking for migrating and resident warblers, thrushes, vireos, and other forest birds, as well as marsh and field birds. We will cover about 5 km over the morning (out and back) on flat, well-maintained trails (packed stone dust and paved). Sheila will provide guidance to new birders on how to look and listen for birds, on mastering your binoculars, and on how to use eBird to record your bird sightings and find birding locations. This location is accessible for wheelchairs and scooters.
What to bring: binoculars, good walking shoes, water, and be prepared for mosquitos, sun and rain. You may also want to bring a field guide and camera.
About the trip leader: Sheila Craig has been an avid birder since 2015. She is a Principal Atlasser for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, vice-president of the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust, and a member of the Birds Committee of the OFNC.
Leaders: Dr. Pete Dang and Berit Erickson
Meet: On the south side of Slack Road near the intersection with Vaan Drive, at the entry to the Pinhey Sand Dunes Complex Site 2.
Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/3iomEiK4kUvf52w47
Description: Join us for a guided tour of Ottawa’s last remaining sand dune, followed by hands-on restoration activities. Tasks may include weeding, moving self-sown plants from pathways, planting new seedlings, removing organic matter, and shaping the dune mound through raking and shovelling. Please dress for the weather and bring your favorite snacks and refreshments.
Registration is required for this outing. Please contact Catherine Crosier at: catherinecrosierofnc [at] gmail.com
Location: Zoom. All OFNC members are welcome. Please first register by following this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7qP-1lynTjmplOqnvqI7PA
The Book: Dispersals: On Plants, Borders, and Belonging (2024) by Jessica J. Lee, 288 pages
***Update!! The Speaker: We are excited to welcome Jennifer Doubt, Curator of Botany at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Jennifer will be talking about the National Herbarium of Canada, which she manages. A herbarium (plural: ‘herbaria’) is essentially a library for plants. The national collection includes over one million specimens of dried and pressed plants (and algae and lichen) collected over the past 250 years. Now, more than ever, herbaria are critical resources as we face a rapidly changing climate.
Description of the book from the publisher: “In fourteen essays, Dispersals explores the entanglements of the plant and human worlds: from species considered invasive, like giant hogweed; to those vilified but intimate, like soy; and those like kelp, on which our futures depend. Each of the plants considered in this collection are somehow perceived as being ‘out of place’—weeds, samples collected through imperial science, crops introduced and transformed by our hand. Combining memoir, history, and scientific research in poetic prose, Jessica J. Lee meditates on the question of how both plants and people come to belong, why both cross borders, and how our futures are more entwined than we might imagine.”
Dispersals is the OFNC Book Club Pick for April and May. It will be the focus of the book club’s meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
If you’d like to be added to the book club’s mailing list (which allows you to vote for future books), please email ofncbookclub[at] gmail.com with your name and email address.
Leader: Art Goldsmith
Meet: Jack Pine Trail parking lot on Moodie (P9)
Description: Will be looking for breeding warblers, thrushes, vireos, and other forest and marsh birds. We will cover about 5 km over the morning (out and back) on well-maintained and mainly flat trails. Art will provide guidance to new birders on how to look and listen for birds, and answering questions about eBird, equipment, and techniques for finding and identifying birds.
What to bring: binoculars, good walking shoes, snack, water, and be prepared for mosquitos, ticks, sun and rain. You may also want to bring a field guide and camera.
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
A maximum of 20 people. Please contact Diane Lepage at: dlepagehibou [at] sympatico.ca
Leaders: Dr. Pete Dang and Berit Erickson
Meet: On the south side of Slack Road near the intersection with Vaan Drive, at the entry to the Pinhey Sand Dunes Complex Site 2.
Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/3iomEiK4kUvf52w47
Description: Join us for a guided tour of Ottawa’s last remaining sand dune, followed by hands-on restoration activities. Tasks may include weeding, moving self-sown plants from pathways, planting new seedlings, removing organic matter, and shaping the dune mound through raking and shovelling. Please dress for the weather and bring your favorite snacks and refreshments.
Registration is required for this outing. Please contact Catherine Crosier at catherinecrosierofnc [at] gmail.com
Leaders: Rosario Castanon Escobar and Susan O’Connor
Meet: On Corkstown Rd at Moodie Dr
Description: Rosario will lead us through a walk of the site, talk about the restoration project completed by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and we will get a chance to observe all four wetland cells.
We will observe RVCA scientists during monitoring work including fish sampling, where we’ll have opportunities for questions. They will show us various fish species they will be cataloguing.
To round off the day, we will be participating in the removal of invasive species, the main target being Phragmites. This will be a hands-on activity.
Please dress for the weather, bring a lunch/snack, boots (either hiking or rubber). Work gloves will be provided.
Registration is required for this outing. Please contact Susan O’Connor at smocon9@gmail.com
All Events
The OFNC’s Events Committee plans an extensive program of monthly meetings, workshops, day trips, and longer excursions for the education and interest of our members.
The OFNC website calendar contains the most up-to-date information on events. Please check it regularly for additions or changes to events. Some weather- and year-dependent events can only be announced at the last minute, via the website and by email to members.
Many events require participants to register. Please consult the details in the event description.
Please read
Guidelines for participants on field trips
Field Trips
Field trips to natural areas in our region and beyond take place all year round. OFNC events are for members only. Prospective members with interest in attending should contact the trip leader in advance. For some events, participation is limited and members will be given priority. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver. Times given for events are departure times. Please arrive earlier, as leaders start promptly. If you need a ride, please contact the leader.
Please bring a lunch on full-day trips and dress according to the weather forecast and activity. Please always wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Binoculars and/or spotting scopes are essential on all birding trips. Unless otherwise stated, transportation will be by carpool.
Trip Waiver
There can be risks associated with any recreational pursuit. Before you participate in nature walks and similar outdoor activities, we will ask you to read and sign a statement in which you assume the risk of the activity and release the OFNC from liability for any loss, damage or injury, however caused and whether or not contributed to by the OFNC’s negligence. This assumption of risk and release includes any minors accompanying you.
Monthly Meetings
Our monthly meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month (no longer Tuesdays) except July and August. After three years of meeting online, the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club has resumed in-person monthly meetings at 7 pm, presentation begins at 7:30 pm. The new venue is City View Church, 6 Epworth Avenue (off Merivale near Meadowlands). Masks must be worn to enter the building, but it is optional once in the room.
Watch past OFNC presentations on YouTube.
Events oriented to all ages
Kids are welcome on all of our trips. We highlight particular hikes as “oriented to all ages” or “especially kid-friendly” as these are most likely to be enjoyed by typical children. Depending on your child(ren)’s interests and stamina, please feel free to bring them along on any events. For events tailored to kids, check out the Macoun Field Club.
Guidelines for participants on field trips
The following guidelines were prepared by the Events Committee. They reflect common sense and experience and make field trips more enjoyable for all.
- READ the excursion announcement and register if required. Make notes of the meeting place and be on time.
- BE PREPARED. If the trip notice calls for binoculars, insect repellent, lunch, etc., bring them. Preparation against insects and ticks is essential if you want to enjoy the trip, especially in May and June. A hat, long sleeves, gloves and a turned-up collar may help. If you depend on insect repellent, we recommend one containing DEET (in various concentrations). However, if you do apply insect repellant, please refrain from touching any insects or amphibians. Especially sensitive persons may find a head net or ‘bug jacket” useful.
- DRESS APPROPRIATELY. Always dress for comfort. Traditional sources of discomfort for beginners are unsuitable footwear and clothes that are too good for mud, snags and grass stains. Bush wear and comfortable hiking boots or shoes are best for nature rambles. For cold weather Spring and Fall trips, wear wool socks (with a spare pair) and hiking boots or water-proof winter boots. If the trip calls for wading in cold water, use rubber boots with insoles and wool socks. For Summer exploration of wetlands, wear canvas running shoes and bring a change of footwear for the trip home.
- COOPERATE with your leader(s). On a trail, stay behind the leader and let him/her set the pace and direction. Do not expect special treatment for you or your children; the leader is not a babysitter. Please INFORM THE LEADER if you wish to leave the group for any reason.
- DO NOT TRAMPLE THE VEGETATION; it may not recover until the next season, if then.
- AVOID COLLECTING, PICKING AND DIGGING. Removing natural objects from the trail leaves it poorer for others. If your leader says that it is okay to collect specimens, move off the trail to take them but always ask permission if you are on private land. Collecting on NCC property, including the Greenbelt and Gatineau Park, is illegal without a permit.
- SAVE YOUR GARBAGE and dispose of it later. Apple cores are biodegradable but they make a trail unsightly, and habituate wildlife to humans as a food source.
- BE A RESPONSIBLE PHOTOGRAPHER. Be aware of the damage you may cause by altering the physical environment to improve your picture. Do not take pictures at the expense of the wildlife.
- DO NOT BROADCAST the location of rare or valuable flora and fauna.
- RESPECT ACCESS to private property; it may have been specially arranged for the trip. Do not assume that you have a right to go back without permission.
- DO NOT BRING PETS; they are neither appropriate nor welcome on field trips.
- DOUBLE UP IN CARS if possible usually at the meeting place. This saves fuel and makes it easier for the leader to keep track of people. Observe the normal etiquette for driving and parking if the “cavalcade” stops for an observation.
- USE COMMON SENSE. The trip could be spoiled for everyone if you are lost or injured.
- IS THIS OUTING REALLY FOR YOU? Don’t go if you have doubts about your physical capacity to undertake the trip – it is unfair to others. Persons with a disability should bring a responsible companion if required. Inform the leader of your limitations before the trip starts.
- REFUND of a fee for a trip, if applicable, will be made only in exceptional circumstances.
CHILDREN are welcome on field trips and are subject to the same rules as anyone else and should be with a responsible adult. Any special restrictions on activities should be explained to children before the trip begins. Children too young or too active to be reasonably quiet on a bird walk should be taken on other kinds of trips.