Ontario Nature

Ontario Nature is a non-profit organization that promotes the preservation and conservation of natural areas in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was established in 1931 as the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, and is based in Toronto. The organization's name was changed in 2004 to "refresh its image".

There is a membership fee to join the organization, which has over 140 member groups and 25,000 members (as of February 2007^[update]).

Mandate

Ontario Nature works to protect Ontario's wild species and wild spaces through conservation, education and public engagement. It also maintains its own system of twenty-one nature reserves throughout Ontario.

It has several priorities, among them: the preservation of northern wilderness; the protection of Ontario's southern forests and the species they support; restoring and maintaining populations of threatened species; and providing habitat for various species within their nature reserves.

The Federation of Ontario Naturalists wants to increase the land classified as provincial park or protected area to between 15-20% of all public land, including old-growth ecosystems. It also supports community action to preserve woodlands. Moreover, it conducts original research on alvars to document their ecology and biodiversity, and to target sites for protection.

Publications

The Federation of Ontario Naturalists produce several publications, including:

• ON NATURE, a quarterly magazine
• Family Nature Notes, a four-page supplementary insert to ON NATURE (it is also sold separately)
• Seasons, a discontinued magazine which was published between 1980 and 2003
• Wildlife in Jeopardy Education Kit
• A Nature Guide to Ontario

References

• Information Niagara: Federation of Ontario Naturalists
• Ontario Nature: Milestones

External links

• Ontario Nature