NatureCK

10/15/2026

Head over to NatureCK.ca and click on "Become a Member" to be entered into the draw for one of three $20 Gift Certificates to our Annual Native Plant Sale in the spring!* 🪴
Want to purchase in person? Join us at one of our indoor meetings at the Chatham Library, 120 Queen Street on the first Wednesday of November or December at 7:00 PM.
Your membership helps support everything we do as a club, such as having amazing speakers, restoring and conserving natural habitats, and more! 🌳
Once you join, you will discover some of the perks, such as discounts from Columbia Sportswear Employee Store, first access to online ordering for our annual Native Plant Sale, Members-Only outings, and you'll always be the first to know about upcoming events and meetings.
Be an Early Bird 🐦 and renew or join for the first time. Good luck to all!
*Contest ends at Midnight on New Year's Eve.

10/07/2026

🍂 The Fall Cattail is here! 🍂

The cool weather has arrived, migration is underway, and it is the perfect time to slow down, grab a warm drink and settle in with a little nature reading. ☕🍁

But before you head over to read the Fall issue, let’s see what you know...

🦋 How many butterfly species in Ontario overwinter here?

🐝 What percentage of native bees make their homes underground?

🌳 What is the largest native edible tree fruit?

🍂 What happened to moth and butterfly emergence when leaves were raked away in a recent study?

🪽 Which bird in this issue is listed as endangered?

🦋 Which butterfly depends on the Pawpaw tree?

Think you know a few of the answers?

👉 The answers are all waiting for you in the Fall Cattail:

https://www.natureck.ca/post/the-fall-cattail-issue-is-here

And once you have finished reading, let us know how many you got right! 👀

📬 Want to make sure you don't miss the next issue? Sign up for our newsletter and have The Cattail delivered right to your inbox.

🌿 Or become a NatureCK member and receive The Cattail, at least a week before it is released to the public.

So grab that warm drink, find a comfy spot, and see what you discover. 🍂☕📖

The cool weather has arrived, the leaves are starting to turn, and migration is underway. There is something pretty special about fall in our part of the world. The landscape changes, birds are passing through, and if we slow down long enough to notice, there is always something happening around us....

10/07/2026

🌱 Wallaceburg, Let’s Grow Our Roots! 🌳

Community tree planting has a long history in Wallaceburg, and we’d love to bring a little of that spirit back!

On Friday, October 23, we’re bringing people together to plant 200+ trees across four Wallaceburg parks.

🌳 Thompson Park | 200 trees
🌳 MacDonald Park, near the boat launch | 40 trees
🌳 Optimist Park | 20–30 trees
🌳 Dauw Park | 5 trees

🕗 8:00 a.m. to noon

🌱 OUR CHALLENGE

Can Wallaceburg get at least 30 people to sign up and dig in?

No experience needed. We’ll show you what to do. Come spend a morning outside, get your hands in the soil and help plant something that will be here for years to come.

🍔 BBQ lunch will be provided for volunteers at Thompson Park.

Want to join us? Message NatureCK to sign up and get the registration and waiver details.

The more people who sign up, the more we can show what a community planting can be.

Someone has to start these things today so that someone else can enjoy them years from now. 🌳

30 people. 200+ trees. 4 parks. One community.

Wallaceburg, let’s grow our roots together! 🌱💚

This project is made possible through partnerships with Enbridge Gas, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, along with the volunteers and community members who make projects like this possible.

10/05/2026

🌿 Nature has questions... so we asked!

With the municipal election coming up, we figured if everyone else gets to ask questions, nature should get a turn too!

NatureCK sent the same five questions to candidates for Chatham-Kent Council and Mayor about nature, biodiversity and the natural world around us.

We identified 85 candidates in total and were able to reach out to 76 who had a contact email available. The other candidates are still included in the list, so you can find everyone running in your area.

Candidates have until October 10 to submit their answers, and responses are automatically posted to the website as they are submitted.

We've organized everything by Mayor and ward, making it easy to find your candidates and see who has answered.

No editing. No debating. Just the questions and the candidates' own answers.

🌱 Nature has questions. We asked.

👉 Find your ward and follow along:
https://www.natureck.ca/post/natureck-asks-the-candidates

🌿 Share it around and help give nature a voice in the conversation!

As we head toward the 2026 Municipal Election, NatureCK asked candidates for Chatham-Kent Council and Mayor to answer five questions about nature, biodiversity and the natural world.Every candidate received the same questions and the same opportunity to respond. Candidate answers are published exact...

10/04/2026

10/02/2026

🌙 A little October surprise!

Our November speaker is coming a month early, so we’re kicking off our indoor meeting season with moths!

🦋 All About Moths and Mothing

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
📍 Chatham-Kent Public Library
120 Queen Street, Chatham

Join us as we welcome Allanah Vokes, Ontario Master Naturalist and member of Lambton Wildlife, for an evening all about the fascinating world of moths and mothing.

Mothing is a little like birdwatching after dark. Allanah will share her experiences searching for, watching and identifying these often-overlooked nighttime visitors. You may never look at your porch light quite the same way again! 🌙

We’ll also be collecting donations for The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation. If you’d like to help, check out the wish list on our flyer and bring an item to the meeting.

Come join us and discover what’s happening after dark! 🦋🌙

09/27/2026

🌿 Opening Nature’s Doors at Sycamore Woods! 🌳

NatureCK is excited to be part of Doors Open Chatham-Kent on Saturday, October 3, opening Nature’s doors to a special piece of Wallaceburg’s natural heritage.

Join us for a guided walk through Sycamore Woods, where we’ll take a closer look at the trees, plants, wildlife and natural features that make this area so special.

This is a wonderful opportunity to explore, learn, ask questions and simply enjoy some time in nature with the NatureCK team. 🍂

🌳 Guided NatureCK Walks
🗓️ Saturday, October 3
🕙 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
📍 Sycamore Woods, Wallaceburg
🎟️ Registration is required

Come curious, bring your walking shoes, and discover a little more of the natural world right here in Chatham-Kent.

We’re opening Nature’s doors, and we’d love for you to walk through them with us! 🌿

Reserve your spot here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/explore-sycamore-woods-doors-open-ontario

Learn more about Doors Open Chatham-Kent and the other participating sites:
https://www.ckculture.ca/event/doors-open-chatham-kent/

09/25/2026

This massive Sycamore is truly impressive, standing out as one of the remaining giants of this species in CK. It has already been recognized as a Natural Heritage Tree.
Sycamores prefer wet, riparian environments so natural regeneration has been drastically reduced as a result of all of the drainage constructed in the 1900’s.

Sycamores are known to develop hollow trunks with age, and early settlers often used them as cold storage, affixing a door to the front of the hollow.