Niagara Falls Nature Club wins NPCA award of merit

Growing threats to natural areas across Niagara is one of the reasons groups such as the Niagara Falls Nature Club are more important than ever, says conservation director Joyce Sankey.

As the club celebrates its 50 years — and recently received an award of merit from Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority for its contribution to the community during the last half century — Sankey said more voices are joining the club’s choir to preserve natural areas in the region.

She pointed to the more than 250 people who came out to a conservation meeting at Ball’s Falls in January 2016 to oppose biodiversity offsetting — a lot of the people being youth.

The club has also been a vocal critic of the proposed development at Thundering Waters.

“We would hate to see the forest there destroyed and — there’s been clear cutting of trees in some areas (across the region).”

Sankey said it’s difficult to fight against big-time developments, but she’s optimistic with more youth engaged in nature and climate issues, groups such as the Niagara Falls Nature Club will be around for many more years.

“We’re not against development, we’re against inappropriate development,” she said.

“There’s many places in Niagara that could be developed without endangering our natural areas. There’s brownfields, there’s areas that are not covered with wetlands and forests. Intensification would improve Niagara. We have a lot of older people and when we build far out, we’re making it more and more of a car culture and it’s harder and more expensive to provide services.”

The Niagara Falls Nature Club was formed when a group of naturalists became concerned about threats to what is now Woodend Conservation Area.

The preservation of natural areas is a primary focus of the club to this day.

During the years, members have enjoyed getting together to learn about natural history, share their nature experiences and explore some of Ontario’s natural areas.

The club has worked with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, the City of Niagara Falls and other agencies on plant and bird inventories, education endeavours and many other activities.

“We have speakers every month from September through May where we have a topic of natural history …,” said Sankey.

“Once a month we usually have an outing where we either look at natural history or we, especially in the winter, watch birds and we participate in the Christmas bird counts and other bird counts.”

Sankey said the club has around 75 members.

The club will join NPCA Tuesday to plant 50 native trees at Smith Ness Forest Conservation Area in honour of the club.

For more information about the club, visit niagarafallsnatureclub. org.