By Jessica Sims, Book Review Editor for The Canadian Field-Naturalist

Did you know that as part of your membership with the OFNC you receive a free online subscription to The Canadian Field-Naturalist? (See below for the steps to create an account.)

Cover of CFN 137(1-2)

The Canadian Field-Naturalist (CFN) has been published since 1880. In its pages, you’ll find articles by the superstar Canadian naturalists of today, building on past contributors like Percy Taverner and Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, as well as work from amateur naturalists just starting their careers. Recently, a special issue celebrated Maritimes naturalist Don McAlpine, of the New Brunswick Museum, and the natural history of Atlantic Canada (read here).

Cover of CFN 136(3)

While Trail & Landscape publishes local nature news, The Canadian Field-Naturalist covers natural history across all of Canada. It’s the only part of the club that has international reach. For example, a recent field note drawing in the style of Nuu-chah-nulth traditional art received global attention for furthering the use of Indigenous perspectives in western science (it showed a rare example of Salmon Shark interacting with human debris in the open ocean).

Each issue also includes book reviews of recent releases on subjects like climate change, birdwatching, conservation, botany, and entomology. With reviews typically no longer than 500 to 1000 words, they are quick reads on a variety of topics. Books from niche or smaller Canadian publishers are often featured, so you’re likely to find some new titles not typically found anywhere else.

Publications are an important part of the OFNC’s role. The Canadian Field-Naturalist fulfils two of the club’s main objectives:

  • To promote the appreciation, preservation, and conservation of Canada’s natural heritage.
  • To encourage investigation, publish the results of research in all fields of natural history, and diffuse the information as widely as possible.

Thank you to our members for your support of these publications. We hope you will enjoy exploring almost 150 years of natural history in the pages of CFN!

How to register for a CFN account?

As a member of the OFNC, you’re able to create an account with The Canadian Field-Naturalist that will give you full online access to the journal. Here’s how:

  1. Fill out the registration form at https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/user/register. When you register, check the box that says “Yes, I would like to be notified of new publications and announcements” so that you will receive an email when new issues are published. Also make sure to remember your username and password.
  2. Next, email our Web Master (wdhalliday [at] gmail.com) to tell him that you’ve registered for a CFN account.
  3. Finally, you will receive a response from the Web Master confirming your account.