The Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society had the honour to host Owen Clarkin of Ottawa, President of OFNC (Ontario Field Naturalist Club) on Monday, October 27 at the Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute Library at 7pm.

Clarkin has a Ph. D in physical chemistry, works in the health care industry during the week and spends his weekends in the trees.

He explained how anybody can be a citizen scientist and that the knowledge obtained can have quite a positive impact on our environment and ultimately the planet as a whole.

Clarkin discussed and showed the audience a number of pictures of plant and tree species, some just recently discovered, in Eastern Ontario all thanks to average people coming across them and uploading them to the Inaturalist site.

Since 2012, Clarkin has led about 125 nature walks for more than 20 groups, from naturalist organizations to community groups to horticultural societies. With boundless good humour, he teaches people how to distinguish woody plant species by their buds, leaf venation, even their profile in the canopy on the horizon. Tree Fest Ottawa described him as a Tree educator, Activist and Treebadour.