We are 100% Canadian owned/operated. our animals are all captive reared.
BUTTERFLY WINGS N' WISHES - BUTTERFLYAB.CA
OUR MISSION
EDUCATION - CONSERVATION - INSPIRATION
Without the interest of future generations, thousands of species are at risk of disappearing forever.
We believe no video, no set of pictures, and no paper module can compare with the unforgettable experience of hands-on interactions with living things. To protect something, we must love or care for it.
A positive first interaction will create a lasting emotional link, a special memory, and a sense of appreciation and understanding. These connections are what will save species and habitats in the future.
ABOUT US
Founded in 2000 by Gloria Swanson at a family home in Edmonton, with less than 100 butterflies, we remain 100% Canadian owned and operated. We are deeply connected to our roots. Gloria is largely retired now, due to a loss of eyesight starting in 2021: though still acts as CFO.
Over the years our director and management team have slowly integrated new projects & programs, including our well known Outreach & In-School Field Trips, serving Alberta classes in person and classrooms Canada-wide virtually. We have also innovated the expansion of our laboratory into Canada's only year round research facility for the breeding and sustainability of the painted lady butterfly.
We are nothing without our team: the heart and soul of a organization like this. We are made up of highly passionate, driven, and talented people: teachers, biologists, entomologists, students, and people who just love making the world a better place.
Despite being small, homegrown, and on a very fixed budget in a non-profit driven field with no shareholders, we are dedicated to being an ethical employer. We strive for diversity, inclusion, and equity: staff are paid fair livable wages. We promote career development through scaffolding, training, and networking, outside referrals, and bridging between orgs: and we are committed to continuous improvement and a fair and safe workplace.
GIVING BACK
We believe butterflies and a love of nature are for everyone. We offer a few in-house initiatives supporting those who may not have access to these amazing creatures without assistance.
- Caterpillars in Kind - a program we offer mostly to schools in the Edmonton area who are ranked below a 2 by the Fraser Institute, and who experience significant economical or demographic hardship, and may not be able to obtain caterpillar kits on their own. There's also similar recipients on here such as hospices, shelters, or other low income support centers. Candidates in this category are eligible to receive by random lottery any cancelled, accidental surplus, or otherwise unwanted/unneeded caterpillars completely free. There is no need to sign up: we know who you are, and we will call you at unpredictable times throughout caterpillar season whenever we have extra caterpillars. We never really know when this will happen! This program is available during caterpillar season.
- Lois Hole Foundation Bereavement Butterflies - we have a free bereavement butterfly available to pregnant people experiencing neonatal deaths or traumatic and sudden loss of a pregnancy. If this has happened to you and you are receiving care at a Edmonton public hospital, look for our item in your Lois Hole care package. Contact us to redeem it (so please hang onto it) and receive a live butterfly to release, to help you memorialize your child and honor their spirit through the healing ceremony of letting a butterfly go free. Butterflies are summer creatures: this is only available late May through September.
- Butterflies In Spirit - We have a limited budget for free or cost-matched butterflies for release ever year. We select we not for profit agencies or organizations who serve their communities in extraordinary, profound, or meaningful ways, especially through mutual aid and advocacy for marginalized folks. Examples of organizations we have worked with before include the Make a Wish Foundation, Edmonton Housing and Homeless Coalition, WIN House of Edmonton, Bissell Centre of Edmonton, Bent Arrow Society, and Chilliwack Stop Overdose. We will also add you to a recipient list for butterflies that cannot be released due to weather cancellations. Have an org you think is a fit? Contact us. We cannot guarantee you will be approved.
OUR FACILITIES
Our caterpillar lab, a 2500 square foot research facility located in Edmonton AB, is the only one of it's kind in Canada. It is completely bespoke: no one else does what we do in the North.
We operate year round, studying these amazing animals: their health & diets, diseases that affect them, and both genetics and lineage strength to ensure that the caterpillar project will be sustainable for generations to come.
Disease prevention is our primary topic of interest: our caterpillars are shipped nationwide, many of whom are released. Therefore, they must be in excellent health and disease free, to ensure they do not have a negative impact on wild populations.
Our Outreach Facility, a CFIA regulated plant pest containment site, is certified for small exotic and native reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. It is a sanctuary site for rehabilitated, neglected, or otherwise un-releasable or non pet-appropriate animals that come to us by surrender or seizure, including reptiles and amphibians.