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.

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.

Wildflower expert, Dean Gugler, will be giving a workshop at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden on Saturday August 1^st at 11am

Dean has been a dedicated volunteer for 12 years in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanical Gardens and has committed over 30 years of his life to learning and teaching others about wild flowers. Dean is author of “What’s That Flower?” and is credited with the discovery of two wild flower species never before encountered in the area.

The workshop takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday August 1.

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.

The Summer Series 2015 is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

The Summer Series at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden kicks off with a Guided Butterfly & Bird Identification with experienced naturalist, Matt Mills.

Matt is well known locally for his eagle eyes, and extraordinary facility for finding and identifying the smallest butterfly or the most elusive bird.

The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday July 25 at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, Dundas.  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.

Saturday July 25^th – Saturday September 5th

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden was fortunate to obtain a grant from the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation, in order to hold a summer educational programme.  The programme will include the popular bird and butterfly identification walks through the Garden with Matt Mills.

This promises to be a great year for butterflies. Milbert’s Tortoiseshells are now a common sight, Monarch butterflies are already visiting the milkweed, and many other species of butterfly have been seen.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, by Doug Welch

Summer is drawing to a close, and on Saturday Matt Mills will give his final guided walk of the season. Migrant butterflies and birds are moving through and you might see something really special. The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday September 13th. Please bring a chair. If it rains the walk is canceled.

This event is part of the UBG’s Summer Series

The Summer series has been funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

Carpenter Bee on Lavender, by Ron Rowan

Joanne Tunnicliffe has a vast knowledge of the many herbs and wildflowers which are grown at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden and can explain the particular qualities of the plants. She will also discuss the delicate relationships between plants and the many forms of wildlife which inhabit the Garden. Joanne knows how plants have been used by First Nations and other practitioners of herbal medicine throughout the centuries.

An ability to mimic bird calls so well that birds come to see who is calling is an art, and Joanne is very good at it, and encourages others to learn the skill for themselves. It’s a lovely way to broaden an interest in birds.

This workshop will be enjoyed by young and old. Joanne’s approach to her subjects is far from dry, and often very humorous. The presentation will take about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday, September 6th .

Don’t be put off if the weather is bad, because Joanne Tunnicliffe has a lively presentation which will be given indoors at the Air Force Club if it rains.

This event is part of the UBG’s Summer Series

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

Red-tailed Hawk (imm), by Michelle Sharp

This workshop is part of the UBG’s Summer Series.

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