The Urquhart Butterfly Garden’s 2016 Photo Competition has now started. Click here for the detailed rules and information.

Good Luck!

Thanks to a generous grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation the old panels on the UBG kiosk have been replaced with colourful new ones.  The beautiful eye-catching new panels have been designed by Michelle Sharp who also took almost all the photos.

Click here to see more!

The UBG’s newly updated kiosk

Great Spangled Fritillary
July 9, 2016
Photo by Michelle Sharp

Welcome to the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, in 2016!

This year we hope to once again be hosting a Summer Programme on Saturdays during August and September, as well as a Photo Contest from mid July until the end of August. We will also be publishing more brochures on specific subjects; continuing the revamp of the kiosk; starting new plantings and new signage. We will update you all on our progress as it happens.

At the moment we are just waiting for the rain to stop for a few days so we can begin our Spring cleanup. However, before we move into complete Spring mode, we thought you would like to see some photos taken during the winter and early 2016, these are posted on the site and all were taken by Michelle Sharp.

Join Joanne Tunnicliffe, expert Gardener and Outdoor Educator in the Urquhart Butterfly Garden’s final event of the 2015 Summer Series.  This event is particularly suitable for kids, so bring them along!

Joanne has a wealth of knowledge about the herbs and wildflowers which grow abundantly throughout the garden. In the presentation, she will discuss the qualities of the plants and the relationship that occurs between the plants and other life forms.

Joanne’s presentations are both enlightening and informative, engaging people of all ages. She is especially known for her exceptionally realistic bird calls that garner responses from nearby birds.

The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday September 12. 

The workshop will proceed in rain or shine. In case of rain, the workshop will be held in the Hamilton Airforce Club, adjacent to the garden.

Experienced naturalist Matt Mills returns to the Urquhart Butterfly Garden for a final Guided Butterfly & Bird Identification Walk of the UBG’s 2015 Summer Series.

Past walks have been enlightening and have yielded sightings of magnificent butterflies such as the stunning Great Spangled Fritillary, a butterfly not commonly seen in the garden.

Although the summer is coming to an end, there are still many beautiful and fascinating species residing in the garden. Don’t miss out on this final opportunity to experience the garden to the fullest with Matt’s leadership.

The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday September 5.  Please bring a chair.

If it rains the walk will be cancelled.

The Summer Series is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is excited to announce a free workshop held in the Garden, “Pollinators Great & Small: Making the Community a Pollinator Haven” led by pollinator and pollination biology experts Dr. Peter Kevan and Dr. Vernon Thomas. The workshop will take place on Saturday August 29 at 11am.

Peter Kevan and Vernon Thomas, accomplished professors from the University of Guelph, will share valuable information about the essential work of pollinators. They will discuss the numerous types of pollinators, their contribution to agriculture, the threats they face, and more.

Learn why it is important for the whole community to be committed to pollinator projects, and find out what an individual can do, without even owning a window box!

The garden is bustling with pollinators, flying to and fro – don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to see and learn all about the vitally important pollinators from two of the world’s leading experts.

This workshop will be a powerpoint presentation and talk held inside the Airforce Club, adjacent to the Butterfly Garden,  plus a brief walk through the Garden.

The Summer Series is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

Join accomplished naturalist, Matt Mills on an enjoyable and informative Guided Butterfly & Bird Identification walk, proudly hosted at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.

Matt’s positive energy and confident leadership continue to engage those that attended the walks he leads through the Urquhart Butterfly Garden’s Summer Series.

The very warm weather is expected to bring rare migrant butterflies, and the garden is already humming with life, yielding sightings of species both familiar and new to those that frequent it.

The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday August 22.  Please bring a chair.

If it rains the walk will be cancelled.

The Summer Series is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

There are many junior photographers who are under 10 years of age and, due to demand, the Urquhart Butterfly Garden Photo Contest is now open to this younger age group. The photos must be taken without assistance from adults, however, adults may assist with the identification of species and entry information, for the under 10’s. First prize in each category is $25.00 cash, plus there will be 2 Honourable Mentions. Prize money has been donated by an anonymous  donor.

For the under 10’s the categories remain the same as for other age groups: Butterflies & Moths; Insects Spiders & Bugs; Birds & other Wildlife; Plants & Flowers.  Two photos can be submitted in each category.  Photos must be taken from the paths of the Butterfly Garden.

Good photos mainly require an interest in the subject and sophisticated equipment is not necessary.  Most young people have cell phones now, and are adept at using them to take photos.

Photographers of all age groups are reminded that photos must  be taken from the paths.

The contest ends at midnight on August 30, 2015

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is hosting a free workshop,  by Dragonfly and Damselfly expert Brenda Van Ryswyk .“Dragonflies & Their Kin: Masters of Air & Water” will take place on Saturday August 15 at 11am.

Dragonflies and Damselflies are exciting to watch, with their extraordinary displays of speed and agility in the air. However, don’t be deceived by their beauty, because they are also very powerful hunters and gobble up scores of smaller insects as they zip through the air.

Brenda Van Ryswyk is known for her ability to spot and identify dragonflies. She is also an excellent teacher and holds workshops across Ontario.  The workshop is suitable for young and old, and everyone is guaranteed to leave with their eyes opened to the remarkable lives of dragonflies.

The workshop will proceed in rain or shine. In case of rain, the workshop will be held with a slide show, in the Hamilton Airforce Club, adjacent to the garden.

Please bring a chair.

The Summer Series is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.