Category: Meetings

The AGM was chaired by Denis Paccagnella, President , who thanked the executive and commented on the excellent activities and speakers we have enjoyed this year. Arni Stinnissen, Vice President  gave a summary of the upcoming events. Nominations for the Executive- – the incumbents agreed to stand again this year, Heather Ewing agreed to take over membership…

Wednesday, April 5, 2017 7:30 p.m. at the Orillia Museum of Art and History Topic: “A golden Opportunist?: the Golden-winged Warbler in Ontario” At the recent meeting of the Orillia Naturalist Club guest Emily Rondel, currently Toronto Project Coordinator of Bird Studies Canada, spoke to the members about her research into the life of the…

We welcomed Tricia Stinnissen, who is a Resource Management Officer at Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park, as guest speaker at its March 22 meeting. (She is pictured above with her proud father.) Tricia grew up in Orillia and began working in the conservation field in 2009, where she got her…

March 10/17: Arni Stinnissen led a Facebook training session at Grants Woods . Lots of  questions and enthusiasm. Maybe no new converts, but even those that just looked on learned a lot. Thanks Arni. The meeting room at Grant’s Wood ( Couchiching Conservancy) worked well, with lots of electrical outlets.

Ethan Meleg presented a slide show featuring the Georgian Bay Islands National Park. Ethan is a photographer, naturalist, birdwatcher, and currently a Park Naturalist for that park. Ethan described the Georgian Bay Islands National Park as a 63 island archipelago totaling 13.5 square kilometers, making it the smallest of the National Parks in Canada. The…

Sharon and Denis thank Ron Tozer Ron Tozer, an icon of Ontario’s birding community, and an excellent speaker, was at our monthly meeting. He was Park Naturalist for 25 years in Algonquin Park, beginning full time in 1972. An avid birder, he has been keeping records of the arrivals, nesting and departures of all 280…

Sue Deadman, scanning the mill pond above Marchmount. For 55 years the Orillia Naturalists’ Club has organized the Orillia Christmas bird count. The results are reported to Bird Studies Canada and become part of the North American records, so trends can be seen. There are about 10 people who have participated in the count for…

An animated Lev Frid  On Nov. 2, 2016, the Orillia Naturalists’ Club regular monthly program featured Lev Frid, a young Russian-born (but Canadian raised) naturalist, who is extensively traveled, especially through the Americas. Lev has worked every summer for 8 years for the MNR as a park naturalist at Algonquin Provincial Park, and is also…

Craig Barrett, Membership ( the newest member of the executive): Carol Strickland ,secretary: Peter Mills and Arni Stinnissen , Vice President Peter was born and raised in Barrie, and has worked professionally as a naturalist in Algonquin Park over the past 9 years. He has a Biology degree from Trent University. Because of his close…

Minutes of the AGM: Although specific attendance was not recorded, the meeting was very well attended, with the 2nd floor room being mostly full. After the initial potluck dinner, the business part of the meeting began at 19:05 with a call to order by Denis Paccagnella. Acceptance of the Minutes of the AGM of 2015…