Our specialty is conservation of native species, and human-wildlife interaction.
All our in-school field trips feature 6-8 species of live animals, and encounters are dynamic, exciting, hands-on and inquiry-based. Available for ages 3+. 30 participants max.
We believe education is the key to conservation. Positive first experiences lead to curiosity, curiosity leads to love: and without love and the interest of future generations, many fascinating species are in danger of disappearing forever.
We believe no video or set of pictures can compare with the experience of hands-on interactions with living things. A positive first experience will create a lasting emotional link, an unforgettable memory, and a sense of appreciation and positivity. This is kind of connection that will save species and habitats in the future.
PRICES
Programs are priced per hour. We do not offer partial or programs of reduced length.
You are welcome to take as many photos as you like at no extra cost!
Weekdays during the school year
$184.00 - first presentation
$174.00 - any subsequent same-day presentations of the same type
$87.00 - Additional half-hour
Mileage (charged on all locations outside 40km of Edmonton)
$0.70/km
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS (we join you online from our lab)
$92.00 - per hour (minimum 1 hour)
Evening/Weekend/Summer Events, Festival & Corporate Displays:
$199.00 - per hour
Statutory holiday rates are billed at 1.5x their regular rate.
All programs can be extended by increments of 1/2hour or more.
We are also available to host neat-ure walks or lead expeditions: shoot us an email for more info!
Our animals are are rescued, rehabilitated, or otherwise obtained through ethical means such as adoption through a rescue agency or wildlife agency. No animals are captured from the wild. Our laboratory is CFIA-permitted and certified as a secure facility for housing organisms of special consideration.
Creatures are for everyone! We do parties, events, and showcasing: we've got you. You don't have to be a teacher - though we are highly educational, as a conservation based lab.
We don't have a facility you can visit , but if you're looking for something special for a birthday, event, corporate gathering or celebration with adults or kids, we can meet your needs:
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Multi-Grade
Kinder,
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
Where do insects spend the winter?
Are all spiders venemous?
What are the roles of bugs in their ecosystem?
And is there even a point to mosquitos?
Butterfly life stages are displayed, along with a selection of other safe a
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Multi-Grade
Kinder,
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
Where do insects spend the winter?
Are all spiders venemous?
What are the roles of bugs in their ecosystem?
And is there even a point to mosquitos?
Butterfly life stages are displayed, along with a selection of other safe and friendly "creepy crawlies" including isopods, millipedes, mantis, giant hissing cockroaches, tarantulas, scorpions and other critters both native and exotic.
Most of these animals - providing they give consent! - can be interacted with hands-on, but many insects are highly instinctive and can be flighty. For this reason, the reptile or mixed program is better suited to kids under Kinder.
This is a great time to get over phobias! You are safe with us. You may even get to see a mantis or a butterfly fly across the room.
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Multi-Grade
Kinder
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
How many kinds of toads, frogs, snakes and lizards do we have in Alberta?
If we find them in the wild, how can we be safe around them?
How do they survive the winter?
What does a baby salamander look like?
How can we help the turtles?
How do they poop?
Explore facts about Albe
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Multi-Grade
Kinder
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
How many kinds of toads, frogs, snakes and lizards do we have in Alberta?
If we find them in the wild, how can we be safe around them?
How do they survive the winter?
What does a baby salamander look like?
How can we help the turtles?
How do they poop?
Explore facts about Alberta's native cold-blooded pals, and meet a couple of their big exotic cousins.
This is our program with the most live animals interactions, because the animals are the most sociable! It is therefore the best choice for young participants such as those under kinder.
We talk about skeletons and anatomy, plus how they hear, eat, see, and sense their world, and how they interact with humans.
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Multi-Grade, most adaptive
Pre-K for young learners
Kinder
1-3
Grades 7-9
Sci 10, BIo 20-30
Or for specialty programs
This program can be tailored for any age or grade, and we are experienced in everything from pre-k to adulthood. We have animals and content for play-based and sensory learning in ages 3-4... or we can bri
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Multi-Grade, most adaptive
Pre-K for young learners
Kinder
1-3
Grades 7-9
Sci 10, BIo 20-30
Or for specialty programs
This program can be tailored for any age or grade, and we are experienced in everything from pre-k to adulthood. We have animals and content for play-based and sensory learning in ages 3-4... or we can bring different creatures for right up to high school!
For young learners, this is the best choice: we can choose a selection of our most handleable animals for a fun, interactive experience safe for littles.
For students grade 7+, scroll down for middle and high school options.
Examples of focus targets:
Native species, Alberta & Canada
Human Actions & Impact
Outdoor Education
Animal Science/Care (Grade 7)
Invasive species, Pests, Parasites
Adaptations &Animal survival
Wildlife conservation
Endangered species
Flight & aerodynamics
High School Biology
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
All Grade
Therapeutic
While every program we do is inclusive and welcoming of all leaners present, this option is to support groups who work extensively or exclusively with complex needs, sensitive learners, or exceptionalities. Content and handling are curated to the capacity of the majority of attendees at each a
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
All Grade
Therapeutic
While every program we do is inclusive and welcoming of all leaners present, this option is to support groups who work extensively or exclusively with complex needs, sensitive learners, or exceptionalities. Content and handling are curated to the capacity of the majority of attendees at each and every program, and we offer personally paced, one-on-one interactions for each person present.
Animals are selected by their appropriate therapeutic or sensory nature and calm demeanor. We look not just at age but also cognitive, physical, sensory, medical, and/or behavioral needs of your group.
Developed to support and enrich the following programs:
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Grade 3 - earth's surface + soil science
Grade 4 - sustaining life + material management
Worms! Isopods! Cockroaches! Dung beetles! Millipedes! Termites! Maggots! Snails! Carrion beetles!
Who eats what? How do they do it? Where do they live?
In this workshop-style class, guests will meet creatures who eat and compost s
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Grade 3 - earth's surface + soil science
Grade 4 - sustaining life + material management
Worms! Isopods! Cockroaches! Dung beetles! Millipedes! Termites! Maggots! Snails! Carrion beetles!
Who eats what? How do they do it? Where do they live?
In this workshop-style class, guests will meet creatures who eat and compost such things as styrofoam, plastic, and heavy metals.
The first part of the program is spent in small groups, doing a hands-on investigation of a live compost bin, exploring ally animals used by humans to assist in composting. Following that, we move onto handling with 5-8 other species of larger invertebrates such as listed above.
We cap this program with a special guest at the end: usually a large vertebrate of a species affected by poor waste management of humans (such as a turtle or amphibian).
New for 2024: now available with a worm bin add on! With 1/2 hour of additional instruction and the purchase of the bin, we'll set it up for you and instruct you on care in person.
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Grade 5
2 hours suggested due to high content -
Back by popular demand! This program was designed specifically to study aquatic and terrestrial wildlife as well as human impact on wetlands.
Diversity, food webs, and sustainability/human impact are explored through living examples of some charismatic species who call
Alberta Curriculum Fit:
Grade 5
2 hours suggested due to high content -
Back by popular demand! This program was designed specifically to study aquatic and terrestrial wildlife as well as human impact on wetlands.
Diversity, food webs, and sustainability/human impact are explored through living examples of some charismatic species who call wetlands home. We investigate the impacts of animals within their environment, as well as the effect human impact has on species reliant on wetlands for survival. Animals are a mix of invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Emphasis is on species native to Canada (and more primarily, Alberta): however, several specialized representatives from international wetlands will be present, to advocate for conservation around the world. Expect to met:
Take home paperwork is available for this course.
These program is specifically designed for middle school science: we provide a inclusive, safe environment to apply the knowledge they are gaining through their junior high science classes, and explore their maturing curiosity and fears about unusual creatures.
ECOSYSTEMS: Interactions, ecosystems, and biological diversity are explored th
These program is specifically designed for middle school science: we provide a inclusive, safe environment to apply the knowledge they are gaining through their junior high science classes, and explore their maturing curiosity and fears about unusual creatures.
ECOSYSTEMS: Interactions, ecosystems, and biological diversity are explored through a a scientific lenses, with live native and invasive species to interact with:
Endangered and threatened species - butterflies, amphibians, reptiles
Invasive species - cockroaches, gastropods
Biodiversity - modeled with the most diverse family on earth: the beetles, with living subjects
Stewardship - concrete resources and suggestions for environmental sustainability and personal action will be presented
ANIMAL CARE - students learn about the needs and care required for a variety of non-furry species that are common in the zoological field or are common as we explore our own desire for pets and animals in our lives and classrooms. Learn what it takes to be a good pet owner and whether these animals make good pets.
Take home paperwork is available for these courses.
High school is one of the best venues for some of our most dynamic and engaging programs, and we have a dedicated presenter experienced in teaching high school level who loves teaching these. Depending on what you want out of this presentation, we can present it as a participatory class demonstration, or challenge your students!
Energy flo
High school is one of the best venues for some of our most dynamic and engaging programs, and we have a dedicated presenter experienced in teaching high school level who loves teaching these. Depending on what you want out of this presentation, we can present it as a participatory class demonstration, or challenge your students!
Energy flow and cycling of matter: complex food webs are modeled with living animals, including an animal feeding demonstration.
Animal reproduction: There's more than one way to make babies. Hemaphroditism, self-fertilization, and parthenogensis will be explored with living examples.
Interactions & Ecosystems: invasive species and agricultural pest and diseases can cause serious economic and environmental damage. Why and how these things happen is explored in depth, as well as what we can do to prevent them.
Myths and mismanagement: Students are introduced to concepts that affect conservation negatively, such as bad feels about "creepy" or "disgusting" animals, and what that means for biodiversity. Alternate viewpoints will be encouraged.
Take home paperwork is available for this course.
A lot of these are for the safety of our animals and to ensure a smooth, fun presentation for all attendees. Please read carefully! Noncompliance can result in delay, cancellation, rescheduling/rebooking. We cannot offer compensation, refund or credit for violations of policies as detailed below.
Available for small groups (<30). Ideal for teachers, summer programs, camps, senior centers, and other groups were we're covering content. Easy to adapt for seniors centers and birthday parties. This is our most hands-on, interactive, high-impact program, and compliant to grade curriculum studies. Programs are inquiry-lead, and content/subject matter is curated for your age group or by request.
Each participant gets a personal interaction within their range of comfort with ever one of the featured 6-8 species.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
Seating: If kids are young (Grade 1 or younger), sitting right on the floor in a circle works great! For older kids like Grade 2+, tables, desks or benches can be used. For older folks (Grade 2+), ensure all surfaces are clean and free of food and other items. Place the desks/tables/benches in rows, and ensure one side is accessible to us, so that our handler can move along the rows and use the desks as a safety surface for working with the animals.
Volunteers: we don’t need them! We are very good with what we do, and all animals must be handled directly by our handler. Adult participants are welcome to join within capacity (30 max). We will focus on the experience of the students or kids, but animals are for everyone!
Special Requests: if you have any special considerations or requests, certain animals you’d like to have visit, or anything else: please email us back, we always do our best to accommodate!
We are a community resource, not a replacement for your team. Our insurance and liability is not a replacement or substitution for your own. We cannot be held liable for incidents that occur when there is a lack of qualified supervision at your facility, venue or event. Please ensure you have proper protocols in place as well as sufficient staff who are certified to meet the requirements of your licensing and code.
**Our capacity and age limit is firm, and is an insurance and safety matter. We do not consent to your choice to disregard these policies. Disregarding these policies place your children and our animals at risk.
If you do violate our safety protocol, the following may occur:
If there are more than 30 people in the room:
Please note that these adjustments take time, and will eat into the 1-hour window of your existing presentation, affecting the event's length and the quality of the program. We cannot adjust ours or other client's schedules due to poor planning or policy violation on your part.
This format is for big groups in open settings, it is not a presentation, instead being a pop up booth/exhibit style display your guests can flow through. We will do a visual display at a table, and can interface with the public as they visit us. Animal encounters will occur, but not on a structured or comprehensive scale as they do in a class presentation/field trip. Interactions are not necessarily one-on-one, no specific handling is guaranteed. Crowd control is necessary.
Cost: $199/hour
Minimum booking of 2 hours
Maximum booking of 4 hours
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
We are a community resource, not a replacement for your team. Our insurance and liability is not a replacement or substitution for your own. We cannot be held liable for incidents that occur when there is a lack of qualified supervision at your facility, venue or event. Please ensure you have proper protocols in place as well as sufficient staff who are certified to meet the requirements of your licensing and code.
Please ensure you have provided the school or facility phone number as an emergency contact. This is a major consideration for our presenter's timely arrival - if you can't answer your cell phone during class, please provide an alternate!
We don't bring anything dangerous. The most dangerous creatures in the room are always the people! Our animals are all little and non harmful, and we employ rigorous containment procedure which is federally certified.
Please inform us in advance of any shellfish allergies. Our terrestrial arthropods, especially butterflies, have a lot in common with shellfish ("shrimps is bugs.") Measures may be taken to protect those with severe shellfish allergies.
We are consent based and firmly believe in enthusiastic consent. Everyone will have a chance to experience the creatures one-on-one on their own terms within an interaction capacity. No one will be forced to do anything they don’t want to do.
Handling is also at the consent of the animals: we monitor them closely for fatigue and body language, and adapt accordingly to their behaviors, which may include removing the animal from an interactive role.
Please ensure there are no outside animals during the presentation. Bringing outside animals to our presentations may cause the event to be paused or cancelled outright due to the safety issues other animals present. This includes any animals other than humans. We cannot be held responsible for any interactions, including injury, that occur as a result of the presence of prohibited outside animals.
We are a community resource, not a replacement for your team. Our insurance and liability is not a replacement or substitution for your own. We cannot be held liable for incidents that occur when there is a lack of qualified supervision at your facility, venue or event. Please ensure you have proper protocols in place as well as sufficient staff who are certified to meet the requirements of your licensing and code.
All booking invoices for field trips are issued with a net 30 deadline to pay from the date of invoice. We require a minimum 50% deposit to reserve your date for you. Full payment is due not less than 5 business days prior to the event date of the presentation. Sorry, we can no longer reserve dates without payment. Without a deposit to reserve your booking the date will remain available for others to bid on.
Your presenter cannot under any circumstances accept payment (except tips), they are neither insured nor liable for handling cash. Insistence on in-person payments will result in application of service or transportation fees for the significant cost to us as an ecommerce business with only lab locations.
WAYS TO PAY:
You will be provided with a payment link alongside your invoice: payments must be made through there.
We can also accept cheques in the mail (providing they arrive on time) or e-transfers.
If you need to pay in installments to complete your payment or deposit, no problem! Let us know your schedule. Then, proceed through into the pay portal using the button in the email, and click "edit" on the amount.
Weekends, evenings, and stat holidays do not constitute appropriate payment timelines. Failure to pay does not constitute a cancellation. Your presenter has been booked and may no longer be able to find other work. Our team often has to book these days off from other jobs to confirm availability your event, and if we cannot find another client to take on your booking, a rescheduling fee will apply to cover the cost of your presenter’s labor. Rescheduling fees are minimum 50% of the cost of your booking and will be applied in event of late payment or failure to pay.
Our outreach staff carry up to date criminal record checks with vulnerable sector search. This includes ages 3 and up.
We carry full commercial and general liability insurance for working with ages 3+.
We are a registered vendor and partner with EPSB, CBE, and an acknowledged partner with ECSD.
None of our animals are medically significant or pose a threat to the well-being and safety of adults or humans. None of our animals* are suitable for human consumption, though no ingredients are toxic to humans.
*those with shellfish allergies may be at a higher risk of being, or developing, allergies to terrestrial invertebrates such as butterflies and insects. If someone has a shellfish allergy, they should refrain from consuming or ingesting any invertebrates or invertebrate products or waste. Depending on the severity of the allergy, please ensure safety measures are in place that are compliant with those normally used for shellfish interactions with the allergic individual.
We are a community resource, not a replacement for your team. Our insurance and liability is not a replacement or substitution for your own. We cannot be held liable for incidents that occur when there is a lack of qualified supervision at your facility, venue or event. Please ensure you have proper protocols in place as well as sufficient staff who are certified to meet the requirements of your licensing and code.
The deadline for cancelling or rescheduling your booking is 10 business days prior the event date.
Evenings, weekends, and stat or civic holidays are not acceptable for notification timelines.
To cancel: please send us an email with the subject line “ATTN: CANCEL (your invoice)”
Failure to provide sufficient notice on any order, or failure to pay, may result in application of rescheduling/cancellation fees, which is 50% of the cost of your invoice.
If it is less than 24 hours in advance of your field trip or presentation, you will forefeit the full cost of your invoice.
Why? Your presenter has been booked and may no longer be able to find other work. Our team often has to book these days off from other jobs to confirm availability your event, and if we cannot find another client to take on your booking, a rescheduling fee will apply to cover the cost of your presenter’s labor. Rescheduling fees are minimum 50% of the cost of your booking.
*for cancellations due to emergencies such as mandated regional evacuations, pandemics, or natural disasters, please reach out to us at bugs@butterflyab.com
Our company has a zero tolerance policy for harassments. Abusive, discriminatory, or inappropriate behavior towards our human and animal team members is grounds for immediate cessation, intervention, and/or possible cancellation on the spot without compensation. Further investigation may be conducted and further damages may apply.
We have a zero tolerance policy for disrespectful, unsafe behavior and language or for harassment. Please be aware that:
"The insects, reptiles, and amphibians were awesome to see up close. My students were engaged and able to touch all of them. Our instructor laid out ground rules to keep the animals safe and to keep the students comfortable. She was excellent; knowledgeable, and very good at putting students at ease."
- Niki Wiese
5 Star Review
"I did not know what to expect, but I really wanted my kindergarten students to get a hands on experience with moving creatures. It turned out to be one of THE BEST days of the year. Students who I thought would shy away from creepy crawlies, were right in there holding tarantulas and snakes! Students were remarking on the beautiful beetles as they were leaving. Talk about connecting with nature and all creatures big and small. The mixed species one for littles is the program we did and it was AMAZING!!! This will be a must have every year from now on! Be ready to meet some great creatures in an educational, respectful environment!"
- Jeaneen Jacobs
5 Star Review
"I just wanted to let you know how FANTASTIC our experience was today with Miss Sierra. My class was SO excited they could hardly contain themselves. Miss Sierra was patient, passionate about all of the creatures she shared and very knowledgeable. It was all the kids could talk about for the rest of the day.
Thank you for helping to make this a highlight of the year."
- Tomi Brooks
5 Star Review
We do not bring anything dangerous in our field trips. None of our animals are medically significant (but we won't let you eat them).
Handling and interactions are with the consent of the individual participant as well as the animal guest.
We do not force anyone to participate beyond what they confirm with us. We monitor our animals body language closely for fatigue and stress, and adapt accordingly to their behaviors. This may involve removing the animal mid-program if necessary for well being.
Our laboratory is CFIA-permitted and certified as a secure facility for the unusual species we work with: many of which are exotic, potentially invasive, and not available to the public as pets.
We hold federal approval for removing our exotic invertebrates out of the lab to bring them to you!
Our animals come to us though community surrenders, wildlife rehabilitators, rescues or otherwise obtained through ethical means such as adoption or government seizure.
No animals are captured from the wild.
We have 23 years of experience delivering in-school wildlife field trips with live animals in Alberta.
Our presenters carry up to date criminal record checks with vulnerable sector search. This includes ages 3 and up.
We carry full commercial and general liability insurance for working with ages 3+.
We are a registered vendor and partner with EPSB, CBE, and an acknowledged partner with ECSD.
We are the preferred science field trip presenter with ECSD.
Butterfly Wings n' Wishes Ltd.
Edmonton, AB
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