Leader: Ludovic Leclerc
Meet: 540-692 Chemin du Mont-des-Cascades near Mont Cascades. From Gatineau, take Hwy 307 N to Cantley, then Chemin du Mont-des-Cascades to a small parking area about 2 km past the ski resort. GPS coordinates: 45.600469, -75.858357
Description: The Outaouais region is among the most diverse areas for beetle diversity (Insecta: Coleoptera). Within it, the Cantley area features old-growth, mature forests dominated by sugar maple, red oak and bitternut hickory. During this activity, we will observe beetles and explore several collecting methods such as sifting leaf litter, sweeping vegetation and setting up a tulle fabric interceptor. Please dress appropriately for the weather and be prepared for biting insects. If you have a hand lens, field guide or containers, feel free to bring them along. In case of rain, the event will be postponed.
Registration is required for this outing and will be limited. Please contact Lynn: bigskies at xplornet dot ca.
Conservation Authority
7:00 pm Social
7:30 pm Formal program
Speaker: Sally McIntyre
Location: City View United Church, 6 Epworth Avenue
Description: Sally will speak about the changing role and focus of conservation authorities and how staff and management are working to ensure that natural hazards continue to be identified and managed as best possible regardless of the organizational structure they operate within.
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/
Leader: Art Goldsmith
Meeting Location: Green – Shirley’s Bay, NCC Parking lot 1. We will walk the Shoreline Trail (a few hundred metres) then proceed to the 4 kms Trail 10 which is a loop. Easy slow walking. Shore birds, waterfowl, and nesting song birds abound within the various wet, forested, and shoreline habitats.
Description: The sun is very strong this time of the year. Sunscreen is recommended. Insect repellent applied BEFORE we gather. Don’t forget to spray around your ankles (ticks). Wear good walking shoes, long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and a hat. The 2.5 km walk will be slow with many stops. We will learn how to listen for birds. Please bring binoculars. I will provide a quick intro to Merlin and eBird. I recommend loading both apps on your cell phones before the event. They are both available (free) from Birds Canada or from the Cornell University Ornithology lab.
Trail Map: https://medias.ncc-ccn.ca/ncc/
Time: 9:00 AM – afternoon
Meet-up location: 192–194 Chemin de la Baie-des-Canards, Low, QC J0X 2C0
Coordinates: 45.771003, -76.152567
Leader: Henry Robertson — henry.robertson@live.ca
Registration required
The site is approximately 1.5 hours from Ottawa. Please bring lunch. Fen terrain is wet and uneven — rubber boots or waterproof footwear are strongly recommended, and participants should dress for variable outdoor conditions. Carpooling may be possible. Please contact Henry Robertson at henry.robertson@live.ca to register your interest, arrange a carpool, or ask any questions about the outing. Space may be limited to keep the visit manageable and minimize disturbance to the fen.
Calcareous fens are among the most biologically rich, distinctive, and understudied wetland habitats in the Outaouais. Outside of Joyce Reddoch’s 1979 article on the calcareous fens of the Ottawa District, and her documentation of the calcareous fen at Poltimore, there has been remarkably little characterization or documentation of rich fens on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River.
This lack of documentation is striking given the importance of nearby Ontario fens just south of the river. Sites such as White Lake Fen, Marlborough Forest, and Purdon Fen are well known for their uncommon and rare flora and fauna. The Outaouais almost certainly contains comparable habitats, but many remain poorly surveyed.
As part of an ongoing effort to identify potential marl-bottom wetlands through satellite imagery, the cluster of fens around Lac Sinclair appears to be among the largest and most promising fen systems identified so far in the region. This outing will be our first dedicated visit to one of these Lac Sinclair fens, and there appear to be relatively few existing biological records for the area.
The site we plan to visit is located on what appears to be the only Crown land parcel on Lac Sinclair. It also has relatively easy roadside access, making it a promising location for an initial exploratory survey. We will focus primarily on the open fen and shoreline wetland, but may also examine adjacent forest and upland areas to better understand the broader ecological context.
A dedicated visit to a calcareous fen in Clarendon last year demonstrated how much remains to be learned about these habitats in the Outaouais. Based on currently available iNaturalist and GBIF records, that search turned up several species apparently new for the wider Outaouais region, including Autumn Willow (Salix serissima), Downy Willowherb (Epilobium densum), and Few-flowered Sedge (Carex pauciflora). It also produced second regional records for species such as Prairie Sedge (Carex prairea) and Hoary Willow (Salix candida), along with populations of several rare orchid species of conservation interest.
Because this visit will take place in June, our main focus will be on sedges, orchids, and other early-season fen species. We hope to return later in August or September to document later-season flora and build a more complete picture of the site. We also hope to collect small samples of any Chara species encountered, which will be shared with a researcher at the Université de Montréal for identification.
We also hope to be joined by a member of the Association Lac Sinclair, an organization whose core mission includes the protection of the Lac Sinclair environment. Their local knowledge and involvement will be valuable as we begin to better understand these fen habitats.
Participants with a wide range of expertise are welcome. While the outing will have a strong botanical focus, calcareous fens can support a remarkable diversity of fauna, flora, fungi, bryophytes, algae, and other organisms. Observations of insects, birds, amphibians, fungi, mosses, liverworts, lichens, charophytes, and other taxa would be very valuable.
This will be an exploratory field visit rather than a formal inventory, but we hope it will help build a better understanding of one of the Outaouais region’s most promising and least-documented calcareous wetland systems.
12:30 pm – 5:00 pm (leaving earlier is also possible)
Leader: Elizabeth Gammell
Meet: Purdon Conservation Area, near 1446 Concession Road 8, Lanark Highlands. Meet at the trailhead at the (second) lower parking lot. There is also a (first) upper overflow parking lot. https://maps.app.goo.gl/
West beyond Almonte lies Purdon Fen’s wondrous Showy Lady’s-Slipper boardwalk trail. https://mvc.on.ca/
The boardwalk is 1.7km and wheelchair accessible. There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet and picnic tables on site if you arrive early to lunch.
After our walk at Purdon CA, we will drive to the lesser known Baird Trail at 1024 Herron Mills Rd, Lanark County, a 15m drive away. Baird Trail is a 1 or 1.5 km easy-ish walk through handsome forest and wetlands. There is an optional extra 1.5 km loop. https://maps.app.goo.gl/
https://www.lanarkhighlands.
Suggested (least annoying) route to Purdon CA starting from the Union Hall intersection of Tatlock Road (County Road 9) and Wolf Grove Rd (CR 16). From Union Hall, go west on CR16 all the way to Hwy 511 at Hopetown; turn left or south on 511 for 4 km; turn right or west onto CR Rd 8 (= Watson’s Corners Rd) for 12 km. Past Watson’s Corners, take Concession Rd 8 right or north for about 2.5km. For questions or if you get lost, contact egammell at gardener dot com.
For Baird Trail: return to Hwy 511, jog right or south 700m, then left or east to continue on CR 8 (= Herrons Mills Rd) about 1.5km to the trailhead parking lot on the left side.
Prep reading:
https://drpaulkeddy.com/
https://ottawaorchidsociety.
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.