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.

This summer, we invite you to participate in the Urquhart Butterfly Garden (UBG) Photo Contest. Take your camera for a walk in the garden and share your best photos with us.

Entry categories:

1 – Butterflies and moths
2 – Insects, Spiders, and Bugs,
3 – Birds and Other Wildlife
4 – Plants and Flowers

Entrants:
Youth 10 – 17
Adult 18+
Please read on for contest details and how to enter.

Awards:
First Prize in each category $50 cash

Honorable Mentions at the discretion of the judges.

Photo Contest Funded by Generous Donations From:
The Conserver Society of Hamilton District and Canadian Tire, Dundas.

Award Ceremony and Exhibit:
The Award Ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday September 19, 2015 at the Air Force Club on King Street East in Dundas.

Judges:
Sandy Bell Conservation Authority; Cathie Coward, Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton; Ken Newcombe, Wildlife Photographer.

Judging criteria will include:
originality, composition, artistic merit, technical skill and correct identification of species.

Rules:
– Photos must be taken from the paths of the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, which includes the path along the canal, between Saturday July 11, 2015 & Sunday August 30, 2015
– Photos are to be submitted without any digital editing beyond cropping, adjustments to exposure, sharpness, and minor colour correction.
– Entries must be received by email as digital files at urquhartbutterfly@gmail.com no later than midnight on August 30, 2015
– Enter up to 2 photographs per category (maximum total of 8)
– The Urquhart Butterfly garden reserves the right to use the photographs, with credit, on our web site, in an exhibition, and finalists may be published in the local newspapers.
– Images remain the copyright of the photographer.
– Photos should be: high resolution jpg format, maximum size of 5 MB each.

To enter:

Please send a separate email for each category.

In the body of your email include the following information:

Name; Address; Phone Number; Age (if 17 or under); Category; Date and time of day each photo was taken; plus identifying the species which is the subject of each photograph (It’s easy with the internet!)

Good Luck!

Saturday, July 11 – Sunday, August 30th

Generous donations from The Conserver Society of Hamilton & District, and Canadian Tire, Dundas, have provided the necessary financing to fund the Urquhart Butterfly Garden’s Photo Contest 2015.