Summer Education Series 2022

Nature in the Garden

Brian Wylie

Free Workshop Saturday August 20, 10 am

It is not every naturalist who really loves answering questions from kids, but Brian Wylie really does!  When Brian was a young child he used to sit patiently beside local ponds to see what lived there, and has been a keen naturalist ever since. 

August is the end of summer and the Urquhart Butterfly Garden is seeing lots of action, rare butterflies, insects of every type, cicadas emerging, spiders spinning.  There are many flowers in bloom and the observant will see hummingbirds flitting about.

This is the time of year when snakes can be seen sunning themselves on the rocks, but they often return into hiding if they detect sound or movement, so one must move slowly and carefully in order to see them.

There are finches on the very tall flowers and you may see other birds gathering for the fall migration.  A trained eye like Brian Wylie’s can spot wildlife that many people might not notice.

Join him on August 20, 10 am


The session is free and open to all. You are requested to bring a chair and wear a hat. You will spend 1 hour in the full sun of the garden. The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.

Sponsored  by the Dougher Foundation & Hamilton Naturalist’ Club …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

For more information contact: Joanna Chapman
jchapman@295.ca
905-627-8917

Birds of Urquhart Butterfly Garden and Canal Park

Bill Lamond

Free Workshop Saturday August 13th at 10am

Bill Lamond is a well known Ontario Naturalist and an exceptional birder who can identify the many birds that are seen at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden and Canal Park.  

Join Bill for this Nature Walk where he will be able to share tips for identifying birds and interesting notes about their lives and migration. Bring your binoculars because Bills’s eagle eyes might spot some rare species

 Bill is not only an expert in birds but also in herps, moths, butterflies, dragonflies and plants.  This nature walk is sure to keep you entertained.

The session is free and open to all.  You are requested to bring a chair and wear a hat. You will spend 1 hour in the full sun of the garden and Canal Park.  The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.

Sponsored  by the Dougher Foundation & Hamilton Naturalist’ Club

For more information contact:

Joanna Chapman
jchapman@295.ca
905-627-8917

Butterfly & Nature Identification Walk

Matthew Mills

Free Workshop Saturday August 6th, at 10 am

Naturalist Matt Mills will be the guide for Butterfly and Nature Identification walk and tour of the garden on Saturday August 6, at 10am. 

Matt is a very experienced gardener who has spent much time in the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.  During this walk he will identify birds, butterflies, insects and the native plants and other plant species in the Garden.  Matt will be bringing a selection of organically grown native plants which can be purchased.

“We are heading into midsummer and butterfly diversity should be excellent” observed Matt Mills recently.  “Furthermore, we should be able to catch sight of cicadas emerging after their  years underground”.


The session is free and open to all, You are requested to bring a chair and wear a hat. We will spend 1 hour in the full sun of the garden. The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.

Sponsored  by the Dougher Foundation & Hamilton Naturalist’ Club …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

For more information contact:

Joanna Chapman
jchapman@295.ca
905-627-8917

Summer Education Series 2022

Birds of Urquhart Butterfly Garden and Canal Park

Bill Lamond

Free Workshop Saturday August 13th at 10am

Bill Lamond is a well known Ontario Naturalist and an exceptional birder who can identify the many birds that are seen at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden and Canal Park.  

Join Bill for this Nature Walk where he will be able to share tips for identifying birds and interesting notes about their lives and migration. Bring your binoculars because Bills’s eagle eyes might spot some rare species

 Bill is not only an expert in birds but also in herps, moths, butterflies, dragonflies and plants.  This nature walk is sure to keep you entertained.

The session is free and open to all.  You are requested to bring a chair and wear a hat. You will spend 1 hour in the full sun of the garden and Canal Park.  The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.

Sponsored  by the Dougher Foundation & Hamilton Naturalist’ Club

For more information contact:

Joanna Chapman
jchapman@295.ca
905-627-8917

Summer Education Series 2022

Dragonflies & Their Kin

Brenda Van Ryswyk

Free Workshop Saturday July 30th, at 10 am

Brenda Van Ryswyk is a Natural Heritage Ecologist and a well known dragonfly expert.  Brenda will lead a walk through the garden where she will share her knowledge on the astonishing lives of dragonflies & their kin.

Dragonflies & Damselflies (Ondonata) are quite astonishing creatures that you may have noticed hovering in the garden or zipping through the air.  As we walk through the garden Brenda will share her knowledge while she shows how to locate and identify dragonflies & their kin.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is adjacent to water and is an excellent location for dragonfly viewing. 

The session is open to all, and you will leave with a new knowledge and understanding of dragonflies and damselflies (Ondonata) at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.  Saturday, July30th at 10 am.


Please bring a chair and wear a hat as we will spend 1 hour in the full sun of the garden. The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.Sponsored  by the Dougher Foundation & Hamilton Naturalist’ Club

Monarch Butterfly – added to the Endangered Species List

What would Fred and Norah Urquhart say?

On Thursday July 21, 2022 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the Monarch Butterfly to the Endangered Species list.  This is a tragedy that could and should be stopped.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden – the first Municipal Butterfly Garden in Canada – pays tribute to the lifelong research of Butterflies and their migration by Fred and Norah Urquhart.
Over 38 years of tagging Monarch Butterflies, starting in 1937 with Fred, culminated with the 1975 discovery of millions of Monarch butterflies in the Neovolcanic Plateau, Mexico.  This is where eastern butterflies over winter.  Just imagine these beautiful delicate creatures undertaking such an arduous journey!

What would the Urquharts say now?  
I think the Urquharts would say “let’s get to work!  We must save the Monarch from extinction “

What can you do?  Let’s get to work!
* Plant milkweed, and native plants such as asters, goldenrod and coneflowers.  Monarchs depend on the nectar for energy. 

* Lobby your councillors to ensure road allowances are full of native plants including milkweed.

* Never use herbicides or pesticides.
* Encourage and support community native pollinator gardens.  

* Stay informed.