Sudbury Butterfly Experience

06/12/2026

Round 2- Take 2

Unboxed and waiting for hatching, and also separated into 4 nurseries JUST in case. Fingers and toes all crossed for these guys!! 🤞🤞🤞

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06/11/2026

We have one spare kit from last week's ill fated Round 2 available for Chelmsford pickup to any of our Round 2 preorders. Pickup asap as they are growing quickly- they are healthy and thriving. Who wants it?

The replacement eggs are arriving this afternoon for everyone else! 🤞🤞

06/08/2026

Round 2- Update #2

The lab is reshipping tomorrow with an ETA of June 11.

This will push Round 2 back to approx June 19 for pickups to start. If this doesn't work for anyone who has prepaid, we can provide a full refund, just let us know.

Fingers, toes and antennas crossed that this reshipment is good!! 🤞🤞

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06/08/2026

Sad update regarding Round 2

Somehow over the weekend, virtually all of our Round 2 larvae have passed. 😭

It is our hypothesis that the larvae had been weakened during shipping, as the majority had already hatched when we unboxed them, meaning the tiny hatchlings would have been without food or hydration for 2-3 days during shipping. We processed them as we always do upon arrival, we fed them and hydrated them but throughout the weekend it became evident that something was very wrong.

There were limited survivors, which we pulled from the nursery into a separate container yesterday, and whom we hope survive.🤞

In doing this for 6 years, we have had losses (usually due to shipping) but this appears to be our largest loss yet.

We have already contacted the lab to request a reshipment. Once we have further details we will provide updates.

We hope to have a handful of kits by the weekend, which will be provided to paid preorders first... and are hoping we can receive replacement eggs this week.

Stay tuned for more updates soon, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause for those waiting for Round 2.

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06/06/2026

A bit of a gloomy day today, but we can definitely use some rain across the North.

A reminder for those who have butterflies to be released- please release on a sunny day and not in the rain. It is best to release early in the day on a sunny day so the butterflies can get a lay of the land/find shelter before nightfall, and to avoid rainy days as butterflies don't fly in the rain so releasing in the rain increases the risk of predation.

The good news is, the sun will be back tomorrow!

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06/04/2026

Round 2 is off to the races and growing quickly! Kits should be available starting mid next week!

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06/03/2026

Here we grow again, Round 2 starts today! (and off to a fast start as many of the eggs have already hatched) 🐛

Kits will be available for purchase soon, or message us to preorder!

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06/03/2026

A slight departure from butterflies for a moment...

But check out this FREE event for girls in Grades 4-7 upcoming this weekend! It's a fun day of events to spark interest in sciences, engineering and the trades in young girls. If you're a teacher, please feel free to share to the kids in your school as well.

Our kiddo will be going, it's sure to be a fun (and educational!) day!

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🌟 Calling all girls in Grades 4–7! 🌟

Are you ready for a day full of fun, teamwork, challenges, and new friendships?

Join us for the WISE S.E.T.T. Olympics at Boreal College!

🏃‍♀️ Fun activities
🧠 STEM challenges
🤝 Team competitions
🍕 Free lunch & snacks
🎁 Prizes and surprises

📅 June 7, 2026
📍 Boreal College
⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

✨ Discover your strengths, meet inspiring mentors, and have an unforgettable day!

⚠️ Spots are limited and registration closes soon!

🔗 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sett-olympics-2026-wise-sudbury-chapter-tickets-1988698094535

SudburyEvents EmpowerGirls WomenInSTEM BorealCollege

06/01/2026

Show of hands, who has butterflies?

The process of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis is called "eclosion".

When the butterfly is ready to eclose, the outer skin of the chrysalis starts to soften and the butterfly flexes it's muscles to make the skin split, so that it can get it's legs out. Then it pulls the rest of the body out. At this point, the wings are all crumpled, and the body is short and plump. The butterfly hangs upside down and pumps fluid into the wing veins, which helps them to expand. Once the wings are dried and hardened, excess fluid, called “meconium” is excreted- you may notice it as the red fluid on the floor of your cage.

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06/01/2026

Round 2 eggs arrive this week!

If you didn't get in on Round 1, there will be kits available again starting approx June 12. Paid preorders will be contacted for pickups first, and after that we will release remaining kits for purchase. Kit availability will be posted as they are available.

There are numerous people who expressed interest in Round 2 preorders who have not responded to our messages. These kits will not be held unless paid, due to the time sensitivity of getting kits into homes as they are made.

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