Our Mission
Foster awareness, appreciation, and protection of nature in North Durham: Townships of Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge.
What We Do
We provide educational opportunities and foster awareness of nature, particularly the flora and fauna, as well as earth sciences and astronomy.
We lead and facilitate field trips to learn and experience nature. We promote the protection of nature, biological diversity and sustainability within North Durham.
We carry out projects in co-operation with other community groups, to conserve and protect the environment within North Durham.
Next Meeting
April 22, 2025 - A History of Upper Canada’s Early Naturalist: Charles Fothergill with John Sabean
7pm at Uxbridge Seniors Centre
Charles Fothergill came to Canada in 1816 with the express purpose of compiling a complete natural history of the British Empire. To that end, during the 23 years he spent in Upper Canada he compiled extensive notes on the flora and fauna and created a museum of stuffed animals, artifacts, and artwork. Had he succeeded in publishing his work he would be known today as the Audubon of Canada. Alas, life intervened.
John Sabean will bring to life the natural history work of Charles Fothergill that took place over two hundred years ago (from present day). John Sabean is a cultural historian with interests in natural history and Canadian art. Trained in medieval and early modern British and European history at the Universities of Chicago and Guelph, he is now a retired professional book editor and spends most of his time writing about local history.
He is a co-founder of both the Pickering Township Historical Society and the Durham West Arts Centre. His published works include: A Boy All Spirit: Thoreau MacDonald in the 1920s (2002); Time Present and Time Past: A Pictorial History of Pickering (2000); and The Travel Journals and Correspondence of Charles Fothergill 1816-1840 (2023).
For more on our upcoming meetings, check out our Talks Page.
Next Outing
April 26, 2025 - Amphibian Breeding Frenzy with James Kamstra
Spring is the time of frog love! Join James to listen to the amphibious symphony as males sing their best to attract females. We'll try to track down some of these songsters.
Registration is required: to sign up for the walk or for more information fill out this form.
For more information on our upcoming walks, check out our Walks Page.
Announcements and News
Funding for Youth Nature Camps
North Durham Nature has funds available to support local North Durham youth in their teen years to participate in nature camps. Here are the programs and application deadlines:
- Ontario Field Ornithologists - Young Birders Camp (Deadline March 23, 2025) http://www.ofo.ca/content/young-birders/camp
- Birds Canada - Young Ornithologist Workshop (Deadline April 30, 2025) https://www.birdscanada.org/discov.../training-and-workshops
- Ontario Nature - Youth Summit (Deadline August 2025) https://ontarionature.org/events/youth-summit/
If you know a family that might be interested, please pass along the flyer linked here.
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:
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!
Volunteer Opportunities
Need a ride to in-person NDN meetings? Can you be a volunteer driver to help others get to in-person meetings?
In order to make our club more accessible for those that don't or no longer drive, we would like to invite people to contact us to sign up--EITHER as a volunteer driver or to inquire about getting a lift. To make the system flexible and accommodate everyone's busy and unpredictable schedules (and weather conditions!), we would not expect a regular commitment but are willing to organize such arrangements on a month-by-month basis. Contacting us well in advance of the meeting date will ensure a greater chance of facilitation, and we will do our best to match riders and drivers.
Our club services the Townships of Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge so if you live in these regions and are interested, please email the NDN admin team at northdurhamnature2@gmail.com.
Please be a Nature Walk volunteer!
Are you interested in helping out with one of our Walks in Nature, either by leading or assisting with a walk on a topic you are comfortable with? We would love to have you! In addition, we are always looking for new locations and/or nature topics to explore in North Durham so if you have experience or ideas to share, please contact Derek: ndnature7@gmail.com. Thanks!
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
Canadian Bat Box Project
This project is over but the bat box guidelines have been revised.
Click here to download the latest designs
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 Sunday morning. This restoration will help compete with the invading exotics. Autumn Olive shrubs, a recent invasive from Asia, were found growing in one planting area. Anyone interested in helping maintain these natural areas can contact Derek Connelly at ndnature7@gmail.com
North Durham Nature Newsletter is now Online!
Looking for some interesting, local nature content, but you've already finished January's installment of NDN's Newsletter? Well you're in luck! Old copies of our newsletter are now downloadable from our website for your reading pleasure.
Click here to check out seven years of content starting with our very first newsletter back in January 2014, or find the link under the "Friends and Links" tab up in the navigation bar.
Not a club member yet, but like what you see? Become a member to receive our most recent newsletters straight to your email.
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