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Welcome to the KFN The Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) is a well-established nature club and charitable organization. Its objectives are both the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats and the stimulation of people's interest in nature.
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Membership Activities
The Club membership has a diversity of interests in nature and so a variety of activities take place year-round. Bird watching trips and competitions, nature rambles, wildflower walks and other field trips are led by knowledgeable individuals from both within and outside the Club. Each May the public is invited to join a series of bird walks.
Monthly meetings are open to both members and the public. They feature guest speakers including naturalists, scientists, conservationists and photographers who speak on a wide range of subjects.
Members regularly participate in hands-on conservation projects such as habitat stewardship and wildlife surveys.
Nature Reserves
The KFN owns two local nature reserves -- a large forest reserve near Frontenac Park (the Helen Quilliam Sanctuary) and a migratory bird stopover and grassland habitat on Amherst Island. The Club is also steward to several other local protected areas.
Conservation and Education
The KFN actively carries out conservation efforts of its own and supports those of other organizations. Issues such as parks creation, wildlife habitat protection, public environmental policy, and environmental welfare are of ongoing concern to the KFN. The Club takes public positions on local issues affecting the preservation of our natural heritage.
In 2007, the KFN established an educational endowment fund at Queen's University. The Kingston Field Naturalists' Award for Queen's University Biology Station, dedicated to the memory of Dr. Robert Stewart, supports undergraduate students studying conservation science or natural history at the Station.
Junior and Teen Programs
The world around us is filled with natural wonders that intrigue youngsters. The Kingston Field Naturalists sponsors youth programs that foster their curiosity. Direct experience of nature leads to understanding and an appreciation of the need for conservation and preservation.
The meetings and trips for the Junior Naturalists Club (children 6 to 12) emphasize investigation and fun. Hands-on activities, games and discussions are used to explore the topic of each meeting.
Teen Naturalists participate in a wide variety of activities. These include excursions to bird and butterfly banding sites, plant and habitat investigations, geology (rock and fossil identification and collection) and monitoring and stewardship activities. In the process, they take part in hiking, canoeing and cross-country skiing.
Both Junior and Teen programs are organized by KFN members with a background in natural history and education. For information on these programs, please contact the coordinator at youth@kingstonfieldnaturalists.org.
Publications
In addition to ten monthly newsletters, members receive The Blue Bill, a quarterly journal which publishes members' and others' stories and articles on nature, conservation, reports on Club activities and projects, and more. The Club also publishes checklists of regional birds, butterflies and dragonflies, available on the KFN website. Based on Club observations, The Birds of the Kingston Region, a reference book by Ron Weir, is now available in its 2008 second edition. To order, please contact Chris Grooms at groomsc@queensu.ca.
History
The Kingston Field Naturalists Club was formed in 1949. Read a number of historical accounts of our Club at different milestones.
Contact KFN
For further information on Club activities, please contact the Kingston Field Naturalists by e-mail at info@kingstonfieldnaturalists.org.