Activities

At the Orillia Naturalists’ Club’s November meeting, longtime naturalist and educator David Hawke led an engaging discussion on Environmental Ethics: How Can Everyone Be Right? Through stories, photography, and thought-provoking questions, David invited participants to reflect on how our personal, organizational, and societal ethics shape the choices we make about the environment. Environmental ethics is…

Many thanks to Don for leading us at the Tree Museum in Gravenhurst. This was the back up date, as it rained on the original date. And the weather turned out beautifully this time! The Tree Museum near Gravenhurst is a unique outdoor art installation where sculpture and nature coexist in perfect harmony. The winding…

Matt Thomson of Mariposa Ecological Initiative led a small group to the last remaining crown land on Lake Couchiching. This beautiful 144-acre property has a lovely walking trail along the waterfront where we identified many birds (blue heron, kingfisher, black-capped chickadee, American Redstart, Black-and-White Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Trumpeter Swans, Hairy Woodpecker and a Barred…

A huge thank you goes out to Kim Kouri, Mike Elchyshyn, Barb and Warren Ryckman, and Allan Thompson for their weekly monitoring of the 43 nest boxes on the Dr. Ray Kiff Memorial Trail. A special thanks also goes out to Betty & Kevin Jones, who have faithfully shared bluebird numbers from their farm over…

On September 3, 2025, more than 60 members from five regional nature clubs gathered at Giiwendin Ki in Rama, a stunning cultural space overlooking Lake Couchiching. Representatives attended from the Carden Field Naturalists, Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists, Muskoka Field Naturalists, Nature Barrie, and Orillia Naturalists’ Club, joined by James Simcoe, Director of Culture (Oshkawbewis) for Rama…

On a humid June morning, 17 members of the Orillia Naturalists’ Club gathered for a nature outing along the Lagoon City Trail in Brechin, ON. Despite the warm air, spirits were high as we set out along this easy, level gravel path — a perfect setting for observing the rich natural life of the area.…

We had 16 take part in the hike of Keall’s Falls and the covered bridge in Bracebridge. Thanks to Don Currie for leading. Although this is an urban property, we lost sight of any homes quickly and had pleasant walk towards the falls.    Birds: Blue Jays, robins, goldfinches, red wing blackbirds, chickadees… Northern Cardinal…

Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual General Meeting and outing to the North Bear Alvar Nature Reserve. At the AGM we voted in the Executive and Committee Chairs, shared updates from the year and shared some good food. We welcomed Mike from Bear with Us, who shared information on his organization and the…

Two people joined in for the last Sights & Sounds of Spring outings. It was a pleasant evening for a walk along the Severn River, which flows into Lake Couchiching (Gwajienjawjiing). There was lots of chatter and stopping along the way to point out birds and beavers. We worked together to identify 16 species, including:…

RECAP – SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF SPRING, APRIL 16 Another chilly day found 5 intrepid women walking down the Ramara Trail to the Osprey nest where two osprey were residing. It was unclear if any eggs had been laid yet. We had quite a good bird list of:the OspreysTrumpeter SwansRed Winged BlackbirdsGracklesCanada GeeseBuffleheadCommon MergansersGull spRock…