Durham Region Field Naturalists

05/24/2026

05/10/2026

Help protect Thickson's Woods forever!

05/06/2026

The invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a growing concern for Ontario’s horticulture and natural areas. While there are no confirmed established populations in Ontario, it has become a significant issue in nearby U.S. states. Staying aware and knowing what to look for can help support early detection. It's important to be on the lookout for egg masses and nymphs in the wild and all stages of life on imports.

If you spot SLF at any stage, remember:
🔍 SPOT IT Learn the signs and stay alert in outdoor spaces and on transported items.
📸 SNAP IT Take clear photos to help with identification and reporting.
🫙 CATCH IT If possible, safely contain or destroy the insect or egg mass.
📢 REPORT IT Report sightings to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

For more information about Spotted Lanternfly, follow this link: https://bit.ly/38TXN38

05/05/2026

Migration Alert! 🚨 More than 373 MILLION birds are forecast to fly across the East Coast and eastern Midwest tonight. Help keep them safe and on track by turning off nonessential lights from 11 PM to 6 AM. Make windows safer with bird-friendly treatments to prevent collisions. More than a billion birds die in glass collisions every year. Learn more about migration, window safety, and sign up to get alerts: https://birdcast.org/migration-tools/

04/14/2026

Now that spring is truly under way, we’d like to invite you to help celebrate by helping prepare the reserve for visitors. Trails need clearing, blown-in trash needs collecting, aggressive plants need trimming, spring migrants need welcoming, and hungry chickadees need feeding. If you feel up to any of these tasks, come join us on

Saturday, April18th at 9:00 a.m.

Garbage volunteers should stop off at the meadow gate on the east side of Thickson Road north of the Waterfront Trail.

Everyone else walk east on the Waterfront Trail. Turn right on the trail that leads south through the woods past where it diverts around the fallen trunks of two large trees uprooted in a recent windstorm. After the path ends in a grassy patch, walk up the first driveway on your right to find tools and folks to guide you if you wish to exercise your muscles on other Earth Day chores.

See you there!

02/21/2026

02/14/2026

Looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for the bird lover who has it all? Consider donating to FLAP Canada in their honour through CanadaHelps and send a eCard tomorrow!

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/donate/ecard-donation/

02/05/2026

Curious about the butterflies you see (or don’t see) around you?
This free webinar explores how to identify Ontario’s butterflies, the pressures they’re facing, and how anyone can contribute to real research through community science. Join us!

📅 Feb 19 | 7–8 pm EST
🔗 Register at https://dsfdn.org/4kcLPoU

12/17/2025

Do you have a bird feeder?
Do you live in Whitby, Oshawa or Bowmanville?
We want you!

Sunday December 21st is the 71st Annual Oshawa Christmas Bird Count.
We are looking for people who can dedicate some time on Sunday to watch their feeders and report the species and numbers spotted.

We are also looking for birdwatchers to go out in the field and search for birds.

If you are interested in either helping in the field or watching birds at home. Send us a message for more details.

Not located in those areas? Check out the Birds Canada map of Christmas Bird Counts and find one in your area. The website also includes a contact email for each circle.

https://naturecounts.ca/apps/cbc/mapviewer.jsp

11/26/2025

Proposed seven Regional Conservation Authorities