Ontario Nature's 95th Anniversary Summit - Saturday, June 13th

Join Ontario Nature for our 95th Anniversary Summit in Kingston for a full day of connection and learning. This year’s summit brings together members, partners, Indigenous communities and Nature Network groups to celebrate conservation achievements and look ahead to the future of nature protection in Ontario.

Event Schedule
8:00am-10:00am: Guided Field Trips (Participants will meet at location based on chosen field trip)
10:30am-11am: Return to Queen's University for registration
11:00am: Welcome
11:30am-12:30pm: Lunch
12:30pm-2:30pm: Strategic Plan Presentation and Annual General Meeting *Official notice will be sent to members prior to the meeting*
2:30pm-3:00pm: Refreshment Break
3:00pm-4:30pm: Workshops
4:45pm-5:00pm: Closing and Goodbyes

**If you’re unable to attend the morning guided field trip (8:00–10:00am), you’re welcome to join us at the Queen’s Bioscience Complex at 10:30am for the remainder of the day. If you plan to do this, please register for an afternoon workshop. We appreciate your registration before June 5th.**

Guided Field Trip 

1. Turtle Walk in Kingston
Join Turtles Kingston on a guided walk along the Cataraqui River to talk about an urban turtle conservation initiative. The easy, paved trail is in an urban park just a few minutes drive or 15 minute walk from Queen's Biosciences Complex. There is a high chance of spotting local turtle species that are basking and nesting in the area at this time of year and Turtles Kingston will help spot and identify them. Herons, songbirds, terns, osprey and snakes are also often spotted on this route.

There are no washrooms on site but it is close to town and washroom locations.

2. BioBlitz at Camden Lake Provincial Wildlife Area
Join Kingston Field Naturalists and friends at Camden Lake Wildlife Area as part of their annual BioBlitz. Camden Lake Wildlife Area is 850 acres of which 130 acres is land based and has woodland, wetland and open area habitats with some flat trails on the limestone. Habitats also include marsh and swamp as well as open fields, field edges, a plantation and mixed woodland. Camden Lake is approximately 45 minutes North-West of Kingston.

Saturday morning programs include a 6:30am early birding, 8:00am moth identification, 9:00am mammal trap checking, 9:00am birding from the tower and 9am introduction to lichen. Please see kingstonfieldnaturalists.org for complete program and details. Ensure you arrive onsite before the events you want to attend with time to register. You are also welcome to attend the Friday evening events if you are in town early!

3. Lemoine Point Conservation Area Walk
Join Ontario Nature staff on a casual birding-focused walk at a Conservation Area in the west end of Kingston on Collin’s Bay. Lemoine Point is primarily wooded with some shoreline and open areas. The trails are stone dust or dirt and has accessible sections. You will also hear from Save Lemoine Point Farm about the effort to save an adjacent property. Birds we might find include both forest dwelling and open species such as warblers, thrushes, swallows and meadowlarks. Waterfowl and wild turkeys are also common and owls can sometimes be spotted. Wildflowers are also abundant. There are privy toilets (outhouses) on site.

*NEW* 4. What counts as nature? A walkshop at Lakeside Community Garden *NEW*
Lakeside sits on a prison farm on the southern fringe of Natural Heritage System wetlands. This four-acre community garden is confirmed habitat for a Specially Protected amphibian and home to a Miyawaki forest, a constructed vernal pond, native hedgerows, nesting Song Sparrows, and resident and migratory birds. It's also home to 121 allotment plots, a Malayali Garden where the Kingston Malayali Association grows culturally significant south Indian crops alongside Carolinian pawpaw, and an Indigenous corn garden where Traditional Foodways Lead Sheldon Traviss grows Iroquois White Corn and Deseronto Potato Beans using Haudenosaunee interplanting methods. As we walk, we'll ask: what does it mean for food sovereignty to feed more than humans? And what would it take for a community garden to belong: in Natural Heritage, in a conservation mandate, and in the question of who this land is home to? Lakeside Community Garden - Google Maps

Workshop Options

1. Anishinaabemowin Bird Names with Joseph Pitawanakwat and Junaid Shahzad Khan
Joseph and Junaid are a part of a team dedicated to learning and teaching all about the Anishinaabe Significance of birds. Join them in this hands-on workshop to learn about the methodology they utilize to decode the identifies of birds as described in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language). Utilizing the sound-based method of understanding Anishinaabemowin developed by first-language speaker Helen Roy, this workshop aims to help participants peek into an Anishinaabe way of thinking about the world around us.

Joseph Pitawanakwat is Ojibway from Wiikwemkoong and has been teaching and curating Anishinaabe educational resources on birds and plant medicines for over 13 years. He has learned from hundreds of traditional knowledge holders and uniquely blends this knowledge with and reinforces it with an array of western sciences. Junaid Shahzad Khan is a Pakistani-Canadian and an Anishinaabemowin learner who has worked as an ecologist for over 12 years, on issues of invasive species, plastic pollution, habitat revitalization, insect conservation, and bird education.

2. Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas: Results, Lessons Learned, and Why It Matters (+ Hands-On Meet and Greet with Live Animal Ambassadors from Scales Nature Park)
The Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas is a decade-long community science project that tracked distributions and spatial trends of reptiles and amphibians across the province. Project data have been applied to reports and recovery plans, academic research, local land use planning, and habitat stewardship programs to increase reptile and amphibian knowledge and conservation. Join Ontario Nature staff to hear project highlights including local results, lessons learned, and lasting impact. There will be an opportunity for hands-on and up-close interaction with some of Ontario’s species of snakes and turtles as part of this workshop.

3. Voices of a Watershed: Neighbouring as Advocacy - Little Forests Kingston
What shifts when our advocacy starts from the perspective of a watershed and her ecological kin? When we recognize them as citizens? In this workshop, each group becomes one of Cataraqui Watershed's more-than-human neighbours. They prepare a short brief and present it to their newly elected councillor responsible for shaping the 2027 municipal strategic plan.

Annual General Meeting

This years Annual General Meeting will be in hybrid format. If you are attending the 95^th Anniversary Summit and wish to participate in our Annual General Meeting, please visit https://ontarionature.org/annual-general-meeting/ to register. Notice will be sent to all members prior to the meeting.

Accommodation
Many attendees are choosing to stay overnight on the Friday. Accommodation is available to book at Queen’s University; please note that the only option offered is a two-room suite with a shared bathroom. 

A block of rooms have been held between June 12th to 14th at the Queen's University student residences for participants. Please book directly with Queen's using the link below. Bookings may be cancelled up to 24 hours before check in.

Queen's Residence Booking
If you are looking for alternative options, you can explore a range of hotels and motels through the Visit Kingston website, which features a variety of accommodations across the city to suit different needs and preferences

By participating in the event, you agree to abide by the Event Code of Conduct.

If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayleyr@ontarionature.org or 416 444 8419.