QUINTE FIELD NATURALISTS
"Explore, Appreciate and Protect Nature with Us"
Meetings
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Our meetings are held at 7:00pm on the third Monday (except holidays) of every month (except June, July, August, and December) at the Maranatha Church, 100 College Street W, Belleville.
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Upcoming Meetings
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​​January 20
February 24
March 24
April 28
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Past Meetings
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November 18, 2024 at 7pm
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Maranatha Church, 100 College Street W, Belleville
on November 18th at 7 pm.
Our featured speaker will be from the Nature Conservancy of Canada,
an organization that is working hard to preserve and protect numerous natural
areas within our region. They will share about what they have been doing lately
on local properties stewarded and protected by the NCC.
Please note - the meeting is open to the public. One does not have to be a
member to attend.
October 21, 2024 at 7pm
The speaker for October's general meeting is Dan Guenther who will talk about thoughtful backyard bird feeding. He'll provide tips on how to attract a large variety and number of birds to your yard. He'll discuss common challenges faced and steps to take to maximize the joy from this wonderful hobby. A demonstration feeder set will be on display. Dan, along with his wife Laura, own the local 'Wild Birds Unlimited' Nature Shop in Belleville. Dan has been a passionate bird watcher and bird feeder for 40 years. He enjoys sharing his love of these wonderful hobbies with anyone who is willing to listen!
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September 16, 2024 at 7pm - Mike Rehder who will speak on "Honey Bees, Wasps & Pollinators"
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Mike Rehder, along with his partner Jane Biggs, have been raising bees at their farm, Ventress Vale, in Brighton for many years. As an engineer, Mike keeps bees using a science-based, data-driven approach. Over the years, he has developed many innovative approaches to keeping bees in our area and regularly collaborates with the Tech-Transfer Program of the Ontario Beekeepers Association. This fascination with bees has extended into insect pollinators in general. He is very much looking forward to sharing his passion and knowledge with the QFN.
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April 15, 2024 at 7pm
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Canoeing a Continent, On the
Trail of Alexander Mackenzie
With Max Finkelstein
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A highly personal account of the travels of Max Finkelstein as he retraces,
some two hundred years later, the route of Alexander Mackenzie, the first
European to cross North America (1793). Mackenzie's water trail is now
commemorated as the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Route.
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Paddler, author, environmentalist and raconteur, Max
Finkelstein works as the Communications Officer for the
Canadian Heritage Rivers System, Canada's national
program for river conservation. When he is not speaking
about, writing about, or otherwise promoting Canada's
river heritage, Max can usually be found paddling on a
river. He has paddled over 22,000 kilometres in North
America, Europe, Africa and Australia.
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March 18, 2024 at 7pm
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The Land Between
With Leora Berman
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The Land Between is a globally rare ecoregion
between the Canadian Shield and the St.
Lawrence Lowlands containing 59 federally
listed Species-At-Risk. It provides water and
other ecosystem services but is affected by
population growth and climate change. The
Land Between is also the name of the non-profit
organization founded by Leora Berman in 2006.
Come for a discussion with Leora of the features
of this last wilderness area in southern Ontario
and the challenges it faces
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Leora has been leading and developing large scale ecological projects for
nonprofit groups and governments for almost 25 years. Leora is the 2019
recipient of the Canada Wildlife Federation, Roland Michener Award for
outstanding achievements in wildlife research and conservation
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February 26, 2024 at 7pm
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Holes, Highways and
Hydro-Cuts
With Robert Ormston
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Southern Ontario's geography is dominated by human infrastructure.
Often this infrastructure can be wholly destructive to nature, but
sometimes it can influence ecosystems in surprising ways. Find out why
abandoned quarries (holes), highway margins, and hydro-cuts may be of
interest to naturalists, and what plants and animals have taken to these
spaces.
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January 15, 2024 at 7pm
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Ontario Nature
Supporting “30 by 30” and Other
Biodiversity Targets
With Corina Brdar
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Corina provides leadership for Ontario Nature’s conservation policy
initiatives. Prior to joining Ontario Nature in 2022 she worked for
Ontario Parks as an ecologist for two decades. Corina completed an
M.Sc. in ecology at the University of Alberta and a B.Sc. in ecology at
the University of Guelph.
November 20, 2023 at 7:00pm
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"Wildfires, Pollution and Impact" with speaker Dr. David McLagan, Queen's University professor and Governor General Award winner.
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Dr. David McLagan is the Project Leader of the Fire, Earth, Water, Air
Contaminant Biogeochemistry Lab (FEWA Lab) and Assistant Professor of
Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering and the School of
Environmental Studies at Queen’s University. He gained a PhD. from the
University of Toronto and in 2023 Dr. McLagan won a Governor General’s
Innovation Award in Canada for the passive air sampler he developed, tested,
and then commercialized during his PhD work.
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October 16, 2023 at 7:00pm
"Bats: Myth and Reality" with biologist Jonathan Balcombe
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As the world’s least understood mammals, bats are the subject of a wide range of misconceptions. In this illustrated presentation, Jonathan will address some of the most prominent of these. There are over 1300 species of bats, making them the most diverse group of mammals, second only to rodents. He will also discuss some of the remarkable ways in which bats live, including how they find food, communicate, parent, and cooperate.
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"The Land Between"
Leora Berman, recipient of the 2019 Canada Wildlife Federation Roland Michener Award for outstanding achievements in wildlife research and conservation.
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Monday, May 18, 2023 - Annual Dinner
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"Central Hastings and the Nature Conservancy of Canada"
Luke Ridgway - NCC Program Coordinator for Large Landscapes
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"A Short Visual Presentation on the Bell Creek Watershed"
John Lowry - QFN Environmental Convener
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"Cutting-Edge Mitigation Solutions for Ontario Beavers and Turtles"
Kari Gunson
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"Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre: Cultivating Empathy and Compassion for Wildlife"
Jess Pelow - Education Coordinator, Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre
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"Tales of a Canadian Explorer"
Kyle Blaney - QFN Member. Bird Photographer
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