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The Conservatory: A Photographer’s Dream
"Can I take pictures inside the Conservatory?" YES - absolutely yes! Some of the best photos we’ve ever seen have been taken by our guests inside the Conservatory. Thanks to
The Hort Report – May 2018
To Till or Not to Till – Disturbing the World Wide Web As gardeners prepare the plot of land destined to support vegetables over the next few months or so,
The Hort Report – April 2018
5 Tips for Seed Starting As we wait for nature’s palette to reveal itself from under the frozen ground, we can create our own palette by starting seeds indoors. The
Styled Wedding Shoot: Geometric Shapes and Natural Tones
If you’ve visited the Conservatory lately you might notice that the dining room looks a little bit different these days. We removed counters and partitions in favour of a more
Tales of a BugFeast Intern: I Ate a Bug and I Liked It
Author: Marcel Cormier We’ve all accidentally eaten bugs before – that time casually riding your bike on a mid-summer’s day and you rode right through a swarm of gnats,
Hort Report – February 2018
Shinrin-Yoku: the therapeutic practice of ‘forest bathing’ Shinrin-Yoku, the practice of ‘forest bathing’, has roots in many cultures, but it was first identified and recognized as a form of therapeutic
Favourite Storytime Books
Holiday Activities for Kids
Insects GO FOR GOLD! With the Olympics just around the corner, the top athletes of the world are working hard to be the fastest, strongest and go for the gold!
Meet Cheecho the Conure
Meet Cheecho the Conure! Ever since Cheecho, a young tropical parrot, came to live with us almost 10 years ago, he has become a popular character in the Conservatory. Cheech
Creepy or Cute?
"Eeww, that bug's creepy!" What does it mean to be creepy? The meaning of the word refers to that skin-crawling sensation when something strange happens or weirds us out.
The Hort Report – October 2017
Autumn on Fire! This time of year we always wish that we had planted more of those striking foliage plants with fall foliage colour. Autumn drives become a spectacular treat
Going “Bear” Hunting?
How to Care for a Bear Raising any caterpillar to watch the life cycle is a rewarding, educational experience. Woolly Bears are cute & fuzzy caterpillars that are active
A Conservatory Love Story
Spoiler - She said YES! For Emily, it was just another Friday afternoon and just a normal visit to the Butterfly Conservatory. She and Dylan arrived with their sweet little
On Now: Butterflies of India & South Asia
Butterflies of India & South Asia - A Special Exhibition We are very excited to feature a special exhibition of freely-flying Butterflies from India & South Asia. India is home to approximately
Monarch Population Status Update
It has been a banner summer for the Monarch butterfly! We've been getting a lot of feedback from butterfly enthusiasts across southern Ontario who are all reporting seeing more
The Hort Report – August Edition
Photo Credit: Mike White The Ecosystem of a Garden By now your garden should be alive with pollinators – both winged and terrestrial critters. You’ve probably noticed many plant pests
Fun in the Arizona Desert!
Invertebrates in Education and Conservation Conference 2017 - Tuscon Arizona We might be biased, but we think entomologists or "bug geeks" are some of the friendliest and most fun people
The Hort Report – July Edition
Photo Credit: Mike White Planting Perennial Pollinator Gardens We were going to use the title “Butterfly Gardens” but that wouldn’t be accurate. Once you plant a garden loaded with golden
Searching for Ontario’s only Endangered Butterfly
The Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis) Mottled Duskywing Photo Credit: Jessica Linton Supporting butterfly conservation research, especially in our region, is very important to us here at the Conservatory. One such
Monarch Mania!
The Monarchs are Back! The children & grandchildren of the overwintering Monarchs in Mexico have traveled thousands of kilometres back up through the United States and into Canada and are
Cecropia Moths
It's that time of year again - the Cecropia moths are emerging from their cocoons! Cecropias overwinter as pupae, snuggled in their cocoons until the warmer weather signals to
The Hort Report: June Edition
What a wonderful time of year - we get to enjoy the fruits of our labours while the gardens are still bug-free! Now Showing: Blankets of Moss Phlox, Rock Cress
Brides- and Grooms-to-Be: Meet Rachel!
If you’ve booked a wedding here at the Conservatory this year, chances are you already know that our Wedding Coordinator, Cayla, has welcomed a new bundle of joy into her
OVO: An Immersive Tour | Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil: OVO Ticket Giveaway Cirque du Soleil OVO is coming to The First Ontario Centre in Hamilton, and we’re giving away free tickets! How to Enter: Visit Cambridge
National Volunteer Week!
We love our volunteers! Each year during National Volunteer Week, we like to shine the light on our wonderful volunteer team and we invite you to join us in giving
Butterflies in Winter
Butterflies are sun-lovers, so much so that they can be considered little solar-powered beings who are dependent on the warmth to stay active and fly around. So how on earth
Messengers from the Mangrove Forest
Imagine yourself in a lush, coastal mangrove swamp in Malaysia. There are stilted trees, thorny vines, and lush foliage so thick you can hardly see ten steps in front of
The Secret Life of Lichens
Ever since the new Lichens exhibit arrived (on display now from November – April 2017), we’ve all been learning more & more about the fascinating world of lichens. At first
Holiday Gift Guide
With stylish home decor, gardening supplies, sweet treats and gifts for kids, The Paradise Gift Store has a unique gift for everyone on your list this holiday season. 1) Sunset
Monarch Population Update
Photo from Journey North Monarch Blog - Homero Gomez, Nov 2016. Monarchs have arrived in Mexico! Almost like clockwork, they were reported as arriving in sanctuary areas on Nov
Help – it’s almost winter & I found a caterpillar!
Every fall we receive calls from concerned individuals who have found a caterpillar late in the season, and are wondering what will become of it with the advent of the
Creepy Crawly Arachnids
Halloween is the celebration of the creepy, the fanfare of the phantasma! Out come the decorations, the ghosts & the skeletons, the spider webs, the gravestones. This spooky season brings
Bug of the Week: Praying Mantis
It could possibly be one of Ontario’s most impressive looking bugs. Sought after by many young naturalists, and never failing to impress the older ones as well, is the famous
Insects are Animals Too!
When most people think about animals, the first creatures that come to mind are often elephants, zebras, dolphins, or puppies. But did you know that insects such as butterflies, stick
Weddings at Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory – Venue FAQ’s
We caught up with Cayla VanHouwelingen, our Wedding and Events Coordinator to ask her some questions about hosting a wedding at our Conservatory, and what factors couples should take into
How to Tag a Migratory Monarch
Today the story of the Monarch's epic fall migration to Mexico is commonly told and taught in classrooms across North America. One can almost take it for granted that this
The bees are swarming!
Our honeybees in the Observation Hive have had a good season: they’ve experienced such a population boom (upwards of 10,000 bees!), they need more space - so they’re swarming! It
Morning Yoga in the Conservatory
Few of our guests have had the chance to experience the Conservatory in the early hours of the morning. The sense of stillness in the air is peaceful, the birds
The Amazing Cicada Emergence
Some people hit the road to go see their favourite band perform in concert; some people hit the road to get away for a few days with friends or family.
Landscapes of Biodiversity – Grand Opening Event
We are tremendously honoured to have spent an evening with Dr. Roberta Bondar this past Tuesday to celebrate the opening of our new exhibit, Landscapes of Biodiversity, Presented by The Roberta Bondar
Observing Butterfly Courtship Behaviour
People love to look at butterflies, but have you ever watched them for more than a few minutes? Their colours & patterns can be dazzling to watch, and so can
What kind of community do you live in?
We all belong to communities, composed of businesses, architecture, people, plants and animals. A community in Toronto will be different than a community in Stratford. Each has features that are
