Community Projects

Uxbridge Community Nest Box Program

We coordinate the maintenance and monitoring of nest boxes in open areas around the community, providing homes for cavity nesting birds such as Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. Explore the map below to see our box locations:

Special thanks to Ron Hunter and Keld Greflund of Uxbridge Rotary, who kindly built five new bird houses to replace deteriorating ones on the Uxbridge town trails.

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

See past cooperative conservation at Lafarge here


Invasive Plants Management

  • Annually thinning of Scots Pine by volunteers occurs in the Uxbridge Countryside Preserve to maintain the meadow habitat
  • In October 2021 20 Dog Strangling vine plants were dug out and replaced with 10 Prairie Cinquefoil and 10 Hairy Beardtongue in the UCP
  • Phragmites (Common Reed) education and some removal has been done in the past in Scugog and Uxbridge

Native Plants

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 the morning of Sunday May 29, 2022. This restoration will help compete with the invading exotics. Autumn olive shrubs from China were found growing in one planting area. Anyone interested in helping maintain these natural areas can contact Derek Connelly at ndnature7@gmail.com
  • NDN has previously participated in native plantings at the Fields of Uxbridge in conjunction with Uxbridge Rotary, as well as the Uxbridge Countryside Preserve with the 1st Uxbridge Scouts

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