Baltimore Checkerspot, by Michelle Sharp

As the soil thaws after a long, harsh winter, a new season is beginning in the Urquhart Butterfly Garden. We are excited to build on the success of last year’s Summer Education Series and to welcome even more people to the garden this year to meet the plants and creatures that call it home.

One of those creatures, the Baltimore Checkerspot, is being celebrated on the front cover of The Wood Duck, the journal of the Hamilton Naturalists Club. This rare little butterfly was spotted in the garden for the first time last year. The photograph of the Baltimore Checkerspot on this post was taken by Michelle Sharp, whose work is also featured in the Wood Duck.

This issue of the Wood Duck also includes the results of the 2013 butterfly study, detailing the which butterflies were seen when and where in the city last year. Look for Michelle’s amazing picture of an American Snout taken in the UBG this past October! The full issue of the Wood Duck is available for download at the HNC website: http://hamiltonnature.org/publications/wood-duck/

We’ll be posting updates here about sightings and programing in the garden, so keep checking back. Or find us on Facebook!