2014 Summer Programming in the Garden

Posted on April 20, 2014 by urquhartbutterfly

Surprised Eastern Chipmunk, by Michelle Sharp

Building on the success of last year’s Summer Education Series, this year, the Urquhart Butterfly Garden will be hosting two exciting programs: A photography contest and a series of nature interpretation walks. The interpretive program will begin in July, while the photography contest will begin on June 15th. We will be releasing more details as the season advances, but for now here’s a taste of what’s to come:

The interpretive walks will be led by Matt Mills, a skilled naturalist and public educator based in Dundas, and other naturalists who will focus on particular themes, such as Dragonflies or Spiders. The UBG is quite compact but very diverse, making it an ideal site for discovery without requiring much walking.

The photography contest seeks to build on and highlight the community of photographers who have already made the UBG a popular destination for their craft. There will be two divisions, adults and youth under 18, each with three categories: butterflies, other insects (spiders, centipedes, and such included), and birds. A first and second prize will be awarded in each category, and photos will be displayed in September.

Keep checking back here for more details on these programs! You can also get updates on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Urquhart-Butterfly-Garden/677434358948946

A New Season in the Garden

Posted on April 7, 2014 by urquhartbutterfly

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!

White-lined Sphinx Moth

Posted on October 1, 2013 by urquhartbutterfly

2013 – September Events in the Summer Education Series

Posted on September 4, 2013 by urquhartbutterfly

The 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

Posted on September 4, 2013 by urquhartbutterfly

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

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.