August 4 at 8 pm (rain date August 11, 2026 at same time/location)
Location: Carlington Woods, Clyde Bee & Butterfly Patch. Use 1111 Clyde Avenue South for search directions. https://maps.app.goo.gl/5PuQX7nTvLMd4sUs5
Description: Join the Friends of Carlington Woods and special guest, Nicole Nolan, for a bat walk in the Carlington Woods. This is a work, then walk event and participants will be asked to help weed out invasive plants and tour our buckthorn removal area ahead of the walk. If you cannot volunteer ahead of time, the walk will begin around 8:45 pm, just after sunset. Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Bug spray is recommended. Info: CarlingtonHampton@gmail.com.
Location: Plage Parent Parking Lot
Leader: Derek Dunnett
Meeting: at the South West corner of the Plage Parent Parking Lot. There is a parking fee. Description: Walk a woodland trail with OFNC member Derek Dunnett listening to forest birds and stop for anything interesting. By the time you start to overheat, head into the cool water of the beautiful and rare marble Lusk Cave. Adventurous children and adults will build core memories. Bring quick-drying clothing and closed-toed shoes for the cave. Drinking Water and bug repellant is a must. Helmet (bike will do) and waterproof flashlights are beneficial. Anyone who can hike 4k can traverse the first cave section. Water may be 1m deep in places. The second (optional) section is for the brave of heart, and may require a swimming exit. Optional – consider a picnic lunch and swimming after the hike. For more info on the cave, see: Lusk Cave | National Capital Commission
Location: Lime Kiln Trail on Moodie Drive
https://maps.app.goo.gl/onPPs5VYiWTpaVd66
Leader: Nathan Stevens-Cocco
Note: This parking lot is small and fills quickly. Roadside parking is allowed along Moodie.
Brief Description: Botanizing and general naturalizing around the NCC greenbelt trails, starting at the Lime Kiln Trail. Enthusiasts and people of all interests are welcome as there will be plenty of opportunities for botanizing, birding, and looking at both vertebrates and invertebrates of all kinds! Focus will be on plants, birds, insects and reptiles.
There is no limit on the number of participants and no registration is required.
Dress for the weather. Don’t forget a hat if it’s sunny. Recommend bug repellent, snacks, water, camera, binoculars, hand lens, tick remover.
Nathan Stevens-Cocco is an Anishinaabe Algonquin and community member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. He is an Indigenous botany-collection technician at the Canadian Museum of Nature and helps curate Canada’s National Herbarium.
Nathan lives in Ottawa which is located on the unceded and unsurrendered traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin peoples. He is passionate about conservation and sustainability and reconciling traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern western science. Nathan plans to be a guardian, caretaker, custodian and steward of the lands his ancestors kept wild for many thousands of years.
Wednesday September 9
OFNC Monthly Meeting
Cartoons and Conservation
7:00 pm Social
7:30 pm Formal program
Speaker: Rosemary Mosco
Location: City View United Church, 6 Epworth Avenue
Description: Cartoonist and author Rosemary Mosco of Bird and Moon has spent her career using humor to help wildlife. Learn why art and science are natural allies, and discover how mixing them with humor can help people love and protect the nature around them.
If you are unable to join the meeting in person (which is better – trust us!), you can connect on Zoom. To join online, please use the link below to register. You will then receive a link from Zoom to join the meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrdemgqTsuHNwrWd_r3XoI_x-eWockg_Hd
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 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.