Maple Syrup Festival
2019-03-02 08:00 - 2019-03-03 17:00 (America/Detroit)
Saturday and Sunday March 2/3 2019, John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area, 915 Essex County Rd 50, Essex, ON

Wear your boots to Essex County’s premier Maple Syrup Festival. Make maple taffy in the snow and see syrup being made the pioneer way. Learn the science of maple. Pure maple products for sale. $4 per child, $6 per adult, $20 family maximum. More details to come.

Essex County Nature Meeting
2019-03-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Ojibway Nature Centre
Member Meeting – Elections, a review of the previous year’s budget and minutes, with a fun quiz throughout. Held at 7:30pm at the Ojibway Nature Centre.

World Water Day
2019-03-22
World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about focusing attention on the importance of water. Windsor-Essex County is surrounded by water with many watersheds! What can you do to help improve the health of our lakes and rivers?

Join a spring community planting event late April throughout the month of May with the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup and Essex Region Conservation.
Learn more about our natural spaces and amazing recreation spots by attending our monthly membership meetings and field trips.
Learn about local environmental issues and challenges that affect you by reaching out to the Citizens Environmental Alliance of Southwestern Ontario.
Learn about local household and hazardous waste diversion programs run by the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority

Essex County Nature Meeting
2019-04-10 19:30 - 21:30
Join us in welcoming Tammie Dobbie from Point Pelee National Park! More information on her topic coming soon.

Earth Day
2019-04-22
This year’s Earth Day theme is “Protect Our Species.” A sustainable future is one where the rights of all species to exist in their natural habitat, at the population size nexessary to maintain their species and genetic variation is recognized. To learn more about threats to species on a global level click here.

Essex County Nature Meeting
2019-05-08 19:30 - 21:30
Details to come

International Migratory Bird Day
2019-05-11
This day highlights the need to conserve migratory birds and protect their
habitats. (After 25 years, the name of this event has shifted from International World
Migratory Bird Day to World Migratory Bird Day!) Celebrate WMBD by visiting Point Pelee National Park and Hillman Marsh Conservation Area to catch some of the spring migration happening!

World Biodiversity Day
2019-05-22
The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.Essex County faces many ecological challenges, as it is part of one of the most populated corridors in Canada. As well, it is part of the unique ecoregion, the Carolinian Life Zone. This region is only 1% of Canada’s total land mass, but is home to more flora and fauna species than any other area in Canada.
Essex County is home to an estimated 2,200 species of herbaceous plants, 64 species of ferns, 110 species of grasses, over 130 species of sedges and 70 species of trees. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in this area, which is over half found in Canada (Carolinian Canada, 2006). Celebrate World Biodiversity Day by getting outside and learning about our natural heritage in Windsor-Essex!

World Turtle Day
2019-05-23
Shellebrate World Turtle Day today! In May 2018, COSEWIC designated the Midland Painted Turtle as Special Concern. This meant that all of Ontario’s eight turtle species are now at risk of disappearing from Ontario ( article link). How can you help?

Reduce turtle road mortality by driving with caution in their habitat range, and keep an eye for wildlife corssing signs along roadways.
If you see a turtle, consider submitting the sighting to the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (ontarionature.org/atlas).
Keep learning about turtles in Ontario and check out this great page here, from the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.

Essex County Nature Meeting
2019-06-12 19:30 - 21:30
Our guest speaker will be Larry Cornelis, an award winning naturalist, who will guide us on how to invite nature into our lives and backyards.
Larry says we need our landscapes to do more and be better for our natural environment. Learn how to attract and benefit birds, pollinators and other creatures by creating an ecologically functional and responsible landscape.
The presentation will focus on the success of Larry’s home landscape. Larry Cornelis was born and raised in Sarnia, but his passion for nature was born on the family farm situated on the banks of the Sydenham River near Wallaceburg, Ont.
Larry is a naturalist, horticulturist and self-taught ecologist. He’s been active with many naturalist clubs and conservation organizations including Carolinian Canada Coalition, Lambton Wildlife, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Nature, Ontario Nativescape (a division of Rural Lambton Stewardship Network) and the Sydenham Field Naturalists. He has been involved in many conservation projects, including 25 acres of habitat on the family farm. He has been instrumental in protecting ecologically significant properties in Southwestern Ontario, such as the recently protected Sydenham River Nature Reserve now owned by Ontario Nature.

Essex County Nature Meeting
2019-10-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Point Pelee Visitor Centre
Wednesday, October 9 at 7:30pm – Point Pelee National Park Visitor Centre
Join us for this monthly meeting in a special location. Sarah Rupert will be presenting on Fall Bird Migration in the Park.
Refreshments are welcomed. Attendees will not have to pay admission to the park.

Essex County Nature Meeting
2020-01-08 19:30 - 21:30
Essex County Field Naturalists Kory & Sarah Renaud will talk about their trip along the rugged Dempster Highway through the Yukon and Northwest Territories. They will share their stories and photos of this adventure of a lifetime!

Winter Birding Along the Detroit River
2020-01-12 09:00 - 15:00 | Lakeview Park Marina, 9200 Riverside Drive East, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Meet at 9 a.m. at Lakeview Park Marina, 9200 Riverside Drive East, Windsor.
Leaders: Kory Renaud and Jeremy Hatt.
This event is held in partnership with Ontario Field Ornithologists.
Winter is an excellent time of year to observe waterfowl, gulls and birds of prey using the open water of the Detroit River. We will start the day at the marina, make a visit to Little River Corridor, continue down river to check a few spots and end at Ojibway Park.
Be sure to dress for the weather, pack some snacks and bring a scope if you have one. Due to the duration of the outing (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), we will make a brief stop for lunch along the way.

Essex County Nature Meeting
2020-02-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Ojibway Nature Centre
Tom Preney, the City of Windsor’s biodiversity co-ordinator, will talk about how fun and easy it is to contribute to citizen science using iNaturalist.
iNaturalist blends science and technology and uses social networking to discuss real time observations while documenting biodiversity. Through an interactive presentation Tom will introduce you to the world of iNaturalist and provide a tutorial on how to use both the web and mobile version so you can contribute to the world’s leading citizen science project.
Before attending the presentation participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app on their mobile device.
Meeting location: Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor.

Native Trees and Shrubs Winter Identification Walk
2020-02-16 14:00 - 15:30
This native trees and shrubs identification walk/workshop will be led by Dave Kraus.
Meet outside the Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor, by the parking lot. (Remember to hide valuables and lock your cars.)
We will take a leisurely walk on some of the trails, observing wildlife and learning some simple clues that are helpful in distinguishing some local native trees and shrubs when they are leafless.
Binoculars will be helpful for both wildlife and tree identification.

New Member Orientation Meeting
2020-02-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Ojibway Nature Centre
Join other members as we explore the inner workings of the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor.
The meeting will be hosted by the membership committee and will cover the club’s activities, structure, history and volunteer opportunities. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and provide suggestions for the future.
Please confirm attendance by Feb. 11 to carlmaiolani@cogeco.ca or by calling Carl Maiolani at 519-972-1399. Pizza will be served at the beginning of the meeting.
All members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Discover Ducks in the Detroit River
2020-02-29 10:00 - 13:00 | King’s Navy Yard Park, 242 Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg, Ontario, N9V 1W4, Canada
Learn about ducks that depend on the Detroit River in the winter. Use binoculars and scopes to get a close-up look at ducks on the river. Expert birders will be on hand to help with identification.
Take part in a duck scavenger hunt and leave with a beginner guide to ducks on the river.
Warm up with some hot chocolate and snacks. (Bring a mug if you can.)
This is a free, drop-in event for all ages at King’s Navy Yard Park, 242 Dalhousie St., Amherstburg.
It is sponsored by Birds Canada and the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club.
For more information email abichel@birdscanada.org.

Essex County Nature Annual General Meeting
2020-03-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Ojibway Nature Centre
At this meeting club members elect board members, review last year’s minutes and club finances, and participate in the always popular year-in-review quiz.
After the meeting, stay for some coffee, tea, snacks and socializing.

Meeting location: Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor.

CANCELLED: Jack Miner Nite Hike
2020-03-26 19:00 - 21:30
We regret that we have had to cancel this event.
Keep checking the event calendar regularly for future hikes.
Join other club members for an evening search for owls and other night life at the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary.
Location: Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary, 332 Road 3 West, Kingsville, Ont.

CANCELLED: Evening Spring Herp Walk
2020-04-04 18:30 - 20:30
We regret that we have had to cancel this event.
Keep checking the event calendar regularly for future hikes.
Take an evening stroll with club member Dave Kraus on his property a 1515 Mersea Road 7 in Leamington. Look for spring wildflowers, turtles, waterfowl, shorebirds, snakes and spring birds. At dusk, watch for foraging bats, woodcock aerial displays, and maybe screech and great horned owls. Even if they can’t be seen, expect to hear woodcocks, spring peepers, chorus frogs, leopard frogs, screech owls, great horned owls and coyotes.
Park on the grass farm lane off to the right before reaching the barn when coming down the gravel driveway. Wear waterproof boots and layers for the weather. You might want a headlight or flashlight if you have one. If you wish, bring a lawn chair to sit out after the walk and listen to the (hopefully) loud evening chorus, chat, star gaze and enjoy a beverage (bring your own).
If the weather is poor on April 4 the event will be rescheduled to April 11.
Location: 1515 Mersea Road 7, Leamington, Ont.

CANCELLED: Essex County Nature Meeting
2020-04-08 19:30 - 21:30
We regret that we have had to cancel this meeting.
Our guest presenters will be Jackie Serran, the remedial action plan co-ordinator for the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup, and Gina Pannunzio, the Essex Region Conservation Authority’s partnerships and outreach co-ordinator. Jackie will provide an update on the cleanup progress, share preliminary results of the fish consumption survey and highlight some habitat work taking place in the watersheds. To wrap up, Gina will share some of the outreach events taking place in the spring, including community restoration projects, watershed cleanups, invasive species pulls, nature hikes and more.
Location: Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor, Ont.

Essex County Nature Meeting - Online
2020-11-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Online – Zoom
Our first live and online members’ meeting! Ryan Wolfe will talk on the conservation aspect of his masters research project. It will be targeted at unraveling the history and current status of the Blue Racer in Canada while highlighting some of the conservation work going on to protect the species, and recommendations for what we can do in the future.
This meeting will take place live on Zoom on Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30pm.
To join the meeting, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85909486771?pwd=[REDACTED] Please join the online meeting at least 5 minutes early to make sure your computer is set up and ready to view the presentation. If your computer does not have Zoom installed, you will be prompted to download and set it up in order to join the presentation. This is a quick and simple process.

Monthly meeting on Zoom
2021-01-13 19:30 - 20:30 | Online – Zoom
Join us via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. for our monthly meeting, which will feature a presentation about species at risk in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes support a diverse array of plants and animals, with rich ecosystems that are unique in the world. The lakes provide us with fresh drinking water, food and recreational opportunities.

Our guest speaker is Kat Lucas, the Aqua-Links program assistant at the Toronto Zoo. She will focus on some of the species at risk in the Great Lakes and our role as individuals to protect this sensitive ecosystem.

Lucas has a passion for conservation education and connecting others with the environment. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a bachelor of science, zoology and a master of environmental science with a focus on aquatic toxicology and fish reproduction.

You will be able to ask questions after her presentation, so come prepared!

Tap here on Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. to join the meeting on Zoom.

Monthly meeting on Zoom
2021-02-10 19:30 - 20:30
Join us Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom for our monthly membership meeting. We’ll open with some club news and share sightings before welcoming our guests.

They are Dr. Catherine Febria and her students at the University of Windsor Healthy Headwaters Lab. They will give us a presentation about their work at the Marianne Girling Nature Reserve and on farms across Windsor-Essex.

The Marianne Girling Nature Reserve adds to an important connected stretch of habit along Cedar Creek that includes Marshfield Woods, an area of natural and scientific interest, and a large, intact forest — a rarity in Essex County. The UWindsor team members will share their ongoing research into the role wetlands and other natural heritage features play in providing ecological services.

Tap here for the Zoom meeting link.

Annual general meeting
2021-03-10 19:30 - 20:30
It’s been a long, trying year for many. We hope you’ve had time to enjoy nature. We want to hear about your finds. Come to our annual general meeting on Wednesday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom to find out the latest news and share your nature stories. This is also the meeting at which we review the club’s finances and elect the executive for the coming year.

Tap here for more details.

Tap here for the Zoom meeting link.

Tap here for the 2020 AGM minutes (draft)

Slide show from Costa Rica
2021-03-17 19:30 - 20:30
Feel like a mid-week adventure to see nature up-close in Costa Rica? Join us for this special presentation by Steve Marks.

Steve, who received the club’s 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award, is currently living in Costa Rica and has put together a one-hour slide show to give us a glimpse of his latest adventures. He is joining us live via Zoom, so you’ll be able to ask questions and say hi.

Tap here Wednesday evening to join us on Zoom.

The meeting ID is: 867 8933 1461. The passcode is: 108307.

Monthly meeting on Zoom
2021-04-14 19:30 - 20:30
Join us to find out about bird friendly cities from Jennifer Nantais, a club member and urban bird educator for the Pelee Island Bird Observatory.

She will describe the Bird Friendly City project and explain how local partners are working toward making Windsor one of the first bird friendly cities in Canada.

We’re meeting online, so you can attend from anywhere. We’ll spend some time at the beginning of the meeting sharing sightings and information. We would love to hear about what you have seen so far this spring.

Tap here Wednesday evening to join us on Zoom. Or you can use the meeting ID 833 7484 7408 and passcode [REDACTED].

Monthly meeting on Zoom
2021-05-12 19:30 - 20:30
Find out about growing food and increasing biodiversity at home at our monthly meeting.
Brandi Bechard is the founder and co-owner of Ground Culture, an ecological foodscaping company based in Windsor and Essex County. She will be giving a 20-minute presentation on increasing the ecological function and food growing capacity of your outdoor space. The topics Brandi will cover include vegetable gardening, perennial food plants and creating a more biodiverse ecosystem in your yard.
There will be a a question-and-answer period after the presentation.
Join us on Zoom by tapping here May 12 at 7:30 p.m. You can also use the meeting ID 880 9495 1282 and passcode [REDACTED].

Monthly meeting on Zoom
2021-06-09 19:30 - 20:30
Join us for our monthly membership meeting on Zoom and see a presentation on how you can become involved in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas project.
The program will be presented by the assistant provincial coordinator of the atlas project, Kaelyn Bumelis. Karen Cedar and Paul Pratt, the Essex region coordinators, will also be present to answer questions relating to our region.

Tap here Wednesday evening to join us on Zoom, or use the meeting ID 810 7804 7503 and passcode [REDACTED].

Monthly meeting on Zoom
2021-07-14 19:30 - 20:30
Join us for our monthly meeting on Zoom to hear from guest speaker Lauren Weller, who will talk about restoration in agricultural landscapes.
Agricultural landscapes, such as Essex County, produce a variety of ecosystem services, the value of which is often underappreciated, and can be important refuges for biodiversity.
Agriculture is also frequently the cause of numerous disservices to natural ecosystems, including habitat loss, soil degradation, and erosion leading to nutrient runoff and harmful algal blooms.
However, addressing these challenges may offer a clear opportunity to revitalize freshwater ecosystems, preserve soils, sequester carbon and increase biodiversity through improved functioning of agro-ecosystems.
Lauren will take a long view of managing soil for ecosystem health, past, present and future, including some research currently being carried out in Essex County that speaks to the sustainable management and restoration of these landscapes.
Tap here on Wednesday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m. to join us on Zoom and hear from Lauren about this important local topic.
