Toronto Field Naturalists  –  Enjoy and preserve nature with us!
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The Toronto Field Naturalists have been promoting a love of nature in Toronto since 1923. Learn more about us, what we're doing and how you can volunteer.
May Photo Spotlight
Owl
White Crowned Sparrow by Ken Sproule
90th Anniversary Celebration
This show is performed by TFN members to celebrate our history and love of nature. It is divided into the four seasons and each season will have skits, haikus, stories, reports and songs including a few sing alongs for audience participation.

The show takes about 1.5 hours without an intermission and will be followed by serving of anniversary cake and coffee and tea.

General Admission tickets will be sold online and through the office starting in mid-August. As it is a small theatre, you should reserve early if you wish to attend. Price $15.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 6 to 12 years. No children under 6.
Weekly Photo Challenge
Visit our Facebook page to participate. How good are you at identifying plants and animals?

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Barn Swallow NestWatch
Barn Swallow populations are declining rapidly across Canada, and the species is classified as Threatened in Ontario. To learn more about threats to Barn Swallows, Bird Studies Canada is launching Barn Swallow NestWatch in Ontario...and you can help!
Barn Swallow NestWatch is part of Project NestWatch - a citizen science program to help follow and understand the health of bird populations through the long-term monitoring of nesting activity. Valuable data collected through provincial and regional nest record schemes across Canada, and by NestWatch volunteers, supports effective conservation efforts for wild birds and their habitats. Please contact projectnestwatch@birdscanada.org for more information.
Ontario Turtle Tally
Report your turtle sightings by entering your observations into the Turtle Tally database. Information collected will be submitted to the Natural Heritage Information Centre and used to learn more about turtle distributions in Ontario.
Turtle
iPhone App for Ontario Reptile & Amphibian Atlas
It just got easier to submit your observations to the Ontario Reptile & Amphibian Atlas. There is now a free iPhone app that will allow you to identify, photograph and report sightings from anywhere in the field. Amphibian and reptile profiles include photos, a range map and descriptive text for easy identification.
Upcoming Events
Swift Night Out
May 22, 8-9:30 pm, 2013
Toronto SwiftWatch and Bird Studies Canada are holding a "Swift Night Out" at Moss Park (Queen Street E between Jarvis and Sherbourne). They would like to invite you to witness the amazing spectacle of hundreds of chimney swifts coming home to roost for the night in a single large, brick chimney. Typically the swifts swirl around the chimney as dusk falls until suddenly they decide it's time and they all plunge in within the space of a few minutes. It's quite something to see!
Tree Tenders Volunteer Training Toronto
May 22, 23, 25 & 29, 2013
This multi-day course is designed for individuals who want to gain tree-related knowledge and skills. Held by LEAF at the Northern District Library, Toronto. Registration required. $70+HST (includes manual)
Spring Bird Festival at Colonel Samuel Smith Park
May 25, 9 am - 1 pm, 2013
Enjoy a morning of guided bird walks, live birds, reptiles and amphibians, backyard habitat building, art workshops, children's activities, and educational displays. The festival is located at the southern end of the park. Bird walks are hourly, beginning at 9am.
Sun Valley Tree Planting
May 25, 10 am - 12:00, 2013
Join Green Toronto to celebrate the completion of the new Sun Valley trail in Crothers Woods. Meet by the new bridge crossing the Don River at the end of Beechwood Drive (Beechwood and O'Connor) for tree and shrub planting adjacent to the new Sun Valley Trail. Also see the plans for revitalizing bird habitat and trails in Cottonwood Flats. Call 311 or email trails@toronto.ca for more information.
Urban Wilderness Poetry Workshop
May 26, 1-4pm, 2013
Nature poetry may not be what you think it is. It might be a reverent ode to a robin. But it might also be something altogether unexpected. Come hunt the wild woods in the heart of the city for poetic inspiration. Local poet Anita Lahey will introduce you to some great poems on the natural world by living Canadian poets. You'll soak up the lush green wilderness in High Park, explore some trails, and write some of your own verse. More information and registration here.
Carden Nature Festival
May 31 - June 2, 2013
Come out and help celebrate the remarkable biodiversity of the Carden Plain. Known for its abundant bird, butterfly and alvar flower species, the Carden Plain offers a smorgasbord of environmental delights to all nature lovers. Registration opens April 15. More information here.
Marie Curtis Forest
Restoration Planting
June 1, 2013
Help protect and restore a mature forest at the mouth of Etobicoke Creek. Enter the park from Lake Shore Blvd. W., meet in the southern-most parking lot on the west side of Etobicoke Creek. Call 311 or email greentoronto@toronto.ca for more information.
The Secret Lives of Wildflowers
June 1, July 6, and August 17, 2013
High Park Nature Centre is running a workshop series to help you learn about your local, seasonal wildflowers. Hike with experienced naturalist and educator Richard Aaron to learn the many species of High Park, their intriguing lifestyles and ecological relationships. Each session will focus on flowers in bloom at that time. Richard Aaron's lively hikes are popular and fun ways to gain naturalist knowledge. $45 for one workshop; $120 for all three workshops. More information here.
Crothers Woods Trail Build
June 8, 2013
Join the Natural Environment Trails Program as they continue to build and maintain trails in Crothers Woods. They will bring all the equipment required and show you how to build sustainable trails. Meet at the Pottery Rd trailhead (Pottery Rd and Bayview Avenue). Contact Call 311 or email trails@toronto.ca for more information.
Tree Tenders Volunteer Training Toronto
June 8, 12 & 15, 2013
This multi-day course is designed for individuals who want to gain tree-related knowledge and skills. Held by LEAF at the Oak Ridges Community Centre, Richmond Hill. Registration required. $70+HST (includes manual)

2 Carlton Street, Suite 1519, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5B 1J3, 416-593-2656
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