Author Archives: urquhartbutterfly

A New Season in the Garden

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Baltimore Checkerspot, by Michelle Sharp

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!

2013 – September Events in the Summer Education Series

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UBG Summer Poster2The Urquhart Butterfly Garden’s Summer Education Series is continuing through September! The schedule of the remaining events is below, with further details about individual events in their own posts below.

Free Guided Butterfly and Bird Identification Walks Saturday September 14 & 29 at 11am

Free Public Education Workshops

Thursday Sept 5 at 6pm: History of the Desjardins Area and the UBG, with Stan Nowak, local historian, and Joanna Chapman, founder of the UBG

Thursday Sept 12 at 6pm: A discussion with the Hamilton Urban Beekeepers, with Brandi Lee Macdonald, bee keeper.

Thursday Sept 19 at 6pm: Protecting the Monarch Butterfly, with Don Davis, Chair of the Monarch Butterfly Fund Canada and naturalist

2013 – Protecting the Monarch Butterfly

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Monarch Butterfly, by Ron Rowan

Monarch Butterfly, by Ron Rowan

On Thursday, September 19th, at 6pm the Urquhart Butterfly Garden is very excited to be hosting a free lecture by Don Davis called “Protecting the Monarch Butterfly”.  We hope to observe Monarchs outside in the garden, but then we shall move inside to the adjacent Air Force Club for the talk
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Monarch Butterflies migrate annually between their breeding grounds in the northern parts of the continent and their over-wintering grounds in Michoacan, Mexico, an epic journey of more than 4,000 kilometers. The discovery of the Monarch over-wintering grounds was made by Fred and Norah Urquhart, the namesakes of the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, in 1976. However, in the past year alone, the number of Monarchs in their winter home has dropped precipitously by more than 80%, bringing in to question the future of North America’s most well-known butterfly.

Monarchs Mating, by Michelle Sharp

Monarchs Mating, by Michelle Sharp

Mr Davis is the chair of the Monarch Butterfly Fund and has been tagging Monarchs to track their migration since 1968, working with Fred and Norah Urquhart. There is no one in Ontario more knowledgeable about the Monarch and few who are as committed to their protection. He will be addressing the causes of the shocking decline in the Monarch butterfly population in the past year, describe our current knowledge of these amazing travelers, and offer some ways the public can assist the Monarchs in their recovery.

Everyone interested not only in the Monarch, but also in the health of our local forests and meadows, is encouraged to attend to learn more about the plight of this important species. The Monarch Butterfly is an indicator, whose condition tells us much about the health of the larger biosphere.

The evening of September 19th at 6 pm is the final workshop in the Summer Education Series at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.  The event also marks 20 years at the Garden and the return of Don Davies, who represented the Fred and Norah Urquhart at the official opening. After the lecture we shall be offering refreshments, and the Air Force Club Bar will be open.

2013 – A Discussion with the Hamilton Urban Beekeepers

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Honey Bee

Honey Bee

On Thursday, September 12th, at 6pm, the Urquhart Butterfly Garden will be hold  A Discussion with the Hamilton Urban Beekeepers. The guest speaker is Brandi Lee MacDonald, who was recently featured in the Hamilton Spectator.

The first hive started by the Hamilton Urban Beekeepers is on McMaster campus, just downstream of the Butterfly Garden. The Hamilton Urban Beekeepers were founded by OPIRG  in response to the Colony Collapse Disorder that is threatening the bee population. The aim of this group is educate on the critical role that honeybees play in the health and biodiversity of local ecological settings and in the security of our food supply.
The discussion will touch on why it’s a good idea to cultivate bees in the city; an introduction to beekeeping and the logistics of establishing a hive; and the current threats to bee health, including the mysterious deaths of local bees this spring, linked to the use of new pesticides. This workshop will demonstrate the ability for grassroots community initiatives to respond effectively to big problems like Colony Collapse Disorder and to build local food security.

Urban beekeeping is a way we can assist in saving these important pollinators. Find out what you can do on September 12th at 6pm. This event will be held inside the Air Force Club, and the bar will be open for those who would like to linger for a drink afterwards.