About Us
Introduction to WBFN
Willow Beach Field Naturalists is a non-profit organization with over 200 members. Our mission is to foster the appreciation, enjoyment and conservation of nature throughout Northumberland County.
Monthly meetings featuring guest speakers are held in person at the Cobourg Public Library and simultaneously on Zoom, usually on the last Friday of the month. Meetings are complemented by a variety of guided outings throughout the year. Our bi-monthly newsletter, The Curlew, offers information on club activities and engaging nature articles.
WBFN is a registered Canadian charity (#119298883 RT0001).
WBFN History
Willow Beach Field Naturalists was founded in 1953 by a small group of local nature lovers who frequented the area of the Willow Beach Marsh in the hamlet of Port Britain. Their shared interests inspired them to plan outings and projects together, eventually formalizing their group with a board of directors and the name we still use today. By the fall of 1954, the club was approved for affiliation by the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, now known as Ontario Nature.
Projects
When you join Willow Beach Field Naturalists, you are joining a club that has led the way in habitat preservation in Northumberland County and the surrounding area for decades. Here are some of the projects we helped initiate:
Peter’s Woods Provincial Park. These woods are the only example of intact old-growth hardwood forest on the Oak Ridges Moraine. The property was purchased by the province with our financial assistance, and we remain the official Stewards of the park.
Carr’s Marsh. Located between Port Hope and Cobourg, this provincially significant wetland was purchased with financial assistance from WBFN, and is now maintained by the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority.
The Northumberland Land Trust. Founded by WBFN and incorporated in 2004, the NLT works to preserve the natural heritage around us. It’s list of managed properties continues to grow.
Thickson’s Woods. This is the last remnant of old-growth white pines on the north shore of Lake Ontario. WBFN contributed to the purchase of both the woodland and the meadow area north of the woods. The reserve is managed by the Thickson’s Woods Land Trust.
Board of Directors
Matt Mair
President
Whitney Lake
Past President
Ann Brightman
Vice President
Marina Scassa
Secretary
Kris Ito
Treasurer
Lindsay Fler
Director
Jenny Jackman
Director
Gregor Binkley
Director
Richard Girardin
Director
Shelley Irving
Director
Dan Hallatt
Director
Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge that the Willow Beach Field Naturalists club is located on the traditional and treaty territory of the Michi Saagig Anishinaabeg and Chippewa Nations, covered by the Williams Treaties. We honour their enduring relationship with this land and recognize our responsibility to support Truth and Reconciliation through respect, learning, and meaningful action.
