The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is excited to announce a free workshop held in the Garden, “Pollinators Great & Small: Making the Community a Pollinator Haven” led by pollinator and pollination biology experts Dr. Peter Kevan and Dr. Vernon Thomas. The workshop will take place on Saturday August 29 at 11am.

Peter Kevan and Vernon Thomas, accomplished professors from the University of Guelph, will share valuable information about the essential work of pollinators. They will discuss the numerous types of pollinators, their contribution to agriculture, the threats they face, and more.

Learn why it is important for the whole community to be committed to pollinator projects, and find out what an individual can do, without even owning a window box!

The garden is bustling with pollinators, flying to and fro – don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to see and learn all about the vitally important pollinators from two of the world’s leading experts.

This workshop will be a powerpoint presentation and talk held inside the Airforce Club, adjacent to the Butterfly Garden,  plus a brief walk through the Garden.

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

Join accomplished naturalist, Matt Mills on an enjoyable and informative Guided Butterfly & Bird Identification walk, proudly hosted at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.

Matt’s positive energy and confident leadership continue to engage those that attended the walks he leads through the Urquhart Butterfly Garden’s Summer Series.

The very warm weather is expected to bring rare migrant butterflies, and the garden is already humming with life, yielding sightings of species both familiar and new to those that frequent it.

The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday August 22.  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.

There are many junior photographers who are under 10 years of age and, due to demand, the Urquhart Butterfly Garden Photo Contest is now open to this younger age group. The photos must be taken without assistance from adults, however, adults may assist with the identification of species and entry information, for the under 10’s. First prize in each category is $25.00 cash, plus there will be 2 Honourable Mentions. Prize money has been donated by an anonymous  donor.

For the under 10’s the categories remain the same as for other age groups: Butterflies & Moths; Insects Spiders & Bugs; Birds & other Wildlife; Plants & Flowers.  Two photos can be submitted in each category.  Photos must be taken from the paths of the Butterfly Garden.

Good photos mainly require an interest in the subject and sophisticated equipment is not necessary.  Most young people have cell phones now, and are adept at using them to take photos.

Photographers of all age groups are reminded that photos must  be taken from the paths.

The contest ends at midnight on August 30, 2015

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.

Talented naturalist Matt Mills will be leading a Guided Butterfly and Bird Identification Walk on Saturday August 8^th at 11am.

This summer has been a thrilling one at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, with sightings of rare butterfly species, and Monarch Butterflies which have bred in the Garden are emerging daily.  Don’t miss out on the excitement!

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.

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.

Free “Public Workshops” and “Guided Butterfly & Bird Identification Walks” held at the beautiful Urquhart Butterfly Garden in Dundas, Saturdays from July 25 to September 12.