Annual Dinner - November 7, 2026

By Jeremy Hatt The Butterfly Committee recently had our second meeting to reflect on the Committee’s work in 2026 and brainstorm ideas for 2027. Over the past year, the Committee brought three new Ontario Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (OBMS) routes to Essex County including at Ojibway Park, Little River Corridor, and Hillman Marsh. Two additional routes are planned for 2027 including Malden Park and a site in Kingsville. These weekly monitoring routes have provided invaluable data [...]

By Lucy Diesbourg Dr. Douglas Tallamy, is an entomologist, conservationist, and professor at the University of Delaware, who has written several books. I found “How Can I help” an easy to read yet informative book, aimed to help relay scientific concepts and research to the ‘average’ person. It explains things simply, but also with enough scientific research detail, to show just how native plants ultimately support our human race on this earth. I had never [...]

By Jeremy Hatt Early in 2026, ECFNC was honoured to receive a micro-grant of $2,600 on behalf of Point Pelee National Park through the Government of Canada’s Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) program. The purpose of the grant is to support partners and stakeholders in developing and enhancing programs and products that are more inclusive, accessible, and effective for a wider range of people, ensuring fairness and equal opportunity for the people of Canada. As [...]

By Jeremy Hatt It was an exciting summer for butterflies and Essex County struck gold on the weather front, enjoying three beautiful days during the Ojibway Butterfly Count, the Pelee Island Butterfly Count, and the Point Pelee Butterfly Count. Count dates for these events are spread out nicely across July to early August giving a good representation of butterfly species and their abundance. The Ojibway Count was held on July 11 and organized by Tom [...]

By Jeremy Hatt It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since ECFNC started co-hosting the Ojibway Pride Nature Walk with the Ontario Field Ornithologists; it feels like yesterday that we created the event. The walk is meant to invite members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community to come together during Pride Month and enjoy nature together in a safe and welcoming environment. After four years, this continues to be a popular event and we now have [...]