Toronto’s Nesting Bald Eagles Shine a Light on Conservation Successes and Challenges March 13, 2024 - Toronto’s first documented nesting pair of Bald Eagles has garnered national and international media attention. Bans on hunting and DDT allowed North American populations to slowly recover from a low point of just a few hundred pairs in the 1960’s. This pair’s presence in our urban environment may also represent a tangible result of slow and costly Read More
Clear Skies, Safe Flights: Let’s Give Birds a Collision-Free Tomorrow! March 6, 2024 - Annually, a staggering 25 million birds lose their lives in Canada due to unnecessary collisions with buildings, predominantly during daylight hours when birds mistakenly perceive glass as a continuation of their surroundings. This preventable tragedy can be mitigated by applying visual treatments to windows. While some municipalities already mandate these changes, a longer-term goal is Read More
TFN’s 2024 Nature Images Show February 14, 2024 - Nature enthusiasts and photographers gathered for TFN’s 2024 Nature Images Show, featuring the works of twelve talented individuals who shared their images of the natural world, taken around the GTA and Algonquin Park. Some photos focused on the intricate details of flora and fauna, highlighting the delicate beauty of wildflowers, the graceful flight of birds, Read More
World Wetland Day: A Splashy Affair February 9, 2024 - Each February, the global community marks World Wetland Day. Wetlands are among the planet’s most biodiverse habitats; in Toronto, wetlands are the best places to spot turtles, trumpeter swans, wood ducks, herons and muskrats, just to name a few species. Wetlands are vital for buffering floodwaters and storing carbon. But wetlands are also under intense Read More
Can a walk in the park fight climate change? January 27, 2024 - Rainy January days are a worry; they remind us that our winters are warming. Climate is a common conversation theme, and we all feel the urge to move beyond worry to action. When we explore ways to lighten our personal carbon footprints, our travel choices are key. Air travel especially, is an outsized contributor to Read More
“Then & Now” Photography Project December 11, 2023 - The “Then & Now” project was created to celebrate our 100th anniversary by selecting photos from our slide archives of places that have special meaning and significance to TFN. We would then set out to take current photos in the same locations, ideally we wanted to match the original as much as possible if current Read More
Public shoreline parkland or private spa? December 4, 2023 - The future of Ontario Place hangs in the balance. The natural habitat of Ontario Place was a chief casualty of the grand New Deal announced between the City of Toronto and the provincial government on November 27, 2023. As part of the deal to help the city resolve its critical budget shortfalls, the city agreed Read More
Giving Tuesday – Help Us Help Nature! November 21, 2023 - The mission of the Toronto Field Naturalists is to connect people with nature in the Toronto area. We help people understand, enjoy, protect and restore Toronto’s green spaces and the species that inhabit them. As a volunteer-run non-profit we share the desire to deepen the understanding of, and appreciation for, the natural spaces and species Read More
TFN’s Trail Cam Pilot November 12, 2023 - If you didn’t already know, TFN owns and maintains 170+ hectares of private nature reserves & environmentally sensitive wetlands, protecting habitats vital to many provincially-endangered and at-risk species. We consider our stewardship of these lands to be one of the most meaningful ways that we deliver upon our mandate and are always looking to improve Read More
Good news on Earl Bales Trail Link! November 10, 2023 - Thanks to all who responded to TFN’s recent action request and emailed their councillor supporting the Earl Bales Trail Link! On Nov 8, City Council unanimously directed City staff to explore the best trail route between Earl Bales Park and York Mills subway station. Parks, Forestry and Recreation staff are to consult with the City’s Read More
Toronto Field Naturalists wishes to acknowledge this Land through which we walk. For thousands of years, the Land has been shared by the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe. Toronto is situated on the Land within the Toronto Purchase, Treaty 13, the traditional and treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is also part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, a covenant agreement between Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Wendat peoples and allied nations to peaceably share the land and all its resources. Today, the Land is home to peoples of numerous nations. We are all grateful to have the opportunity to continue to care for and share the beauty of this Land.