Spring 2010 Begins March 25
Registration Form

Rearing Red Admirals On-Line Course – “Everything You Wanted to Know, But Didn’t Know to Ask!”

Register with payment by March 25. Nettles will be shipped to you with instructions. You will raise them for 3 months prior the class.

On-line course will start June 26

Red Admiral Butterfly Basic Course Outline:
Welcome to the “Raising Red Admiral Butterflies” course! It has been said that breeders have overlooked this butterfly and are under utilizing it! YOU are not one of those breeders though, ARE you? I think this is mostly true because of the use of nettle~ stinging nettle that is. Technically you don’t have to handle the nettle much. And when you do, just use gloves!!! We will be exploring these unique butterflies together for 21 days and refer to them as “RA’s” from here on out within this class. RA’s are a migratory butterfly too. They arrive in the north in early spring and stay all season long. RA’s can be shipped with the proper permits to ANY continental state in the U.S.! That is one more state than even the Painted Lady!

RA’s are MY favorite butterfly. Why? Well once you get going with them you just may answer that question for yourself! During this course you will have a full understanding and grow to love them too. If you are still deciding on whether or not this class is for you, consider this: These high energy RA’s are slightly larger than most Painted Ladies . Their very strong and resilient wings allow them to withstand transportation and to fly more readily at releases. This is true in even cooler temperatures, for instance in the upper 50’s◦ F. They will be the first to take flight!
CLASS AGENDA: You will receive a PPT section each week to show you “what to expect this week” at the beginning of the week. I will be available for question each day through email or even by phone if need be. The email to be used for the instructor for this course is wvmbsf@aol.com On the first day(June 26th) we’ll take a vote on what time of the day would be best for most of us to meet on line each day to have a discussion. Email questions and posts may be posted at your convenience ANY time however. Each 6th day interval there will be a quiz & review so we may decipher what areas need extensive attention allowing the 7th day available for any continuation.
The supplies you will need are minimal and are as follows:
1. Nettles
The nettles will be shipped out to you via USPS Priority Mail ~ a 2-day service ~on the 29th of March. You should receive them by Wednesday the 31st. Open the package immediately upon receipt and get them into the pots. Plant growth is going to be the name of the game here. If we don’t get this part right then we have already failed the class! The nettles will arrive earlier before the class actually starts so they will be well established and not have trauma just before needing them for food. Nettles are VERY sensitive plants. So they will need to be comfortable and secure in their pots early on! The package will include instructions for the plant care. There will be 25 seedlings. You will need them all for support of the caterpillars. This is included in your auxiliary course fees.

2. 5 Six inch pots or 3 larger pots of soil
These pots will be your preference and/or what you have on hand. Have these ready before your nettle arrives so the plants can go directly in the pots when they do arrive. The soil should be loose and sandy for best results. If you have worm castings for the soil a dab of that would be ideal!

3. A cage or “castle” that will hold one or even two of your selected pots
You can use whatever you have on hand or purchase from suppliers. The choice is yours. #4 works really well too. Either will suffice, as long as the plants are “netted” and protected from potential predators and the cats are on the plant and kept contained therein a safety barrier.

4. As an alternative to #3 and a preference of the instructor…….paint strainers
If you have never used paint strainers, you are probably looking at me funny right now! If you go to your nearest Lowe’s, in the paint section you will find one gallon and two gallon paint strainers. You will know which ones you will need as you decide which size pots you are going to use. Just get 3 packs (2 in a pack) of the size you need. At home place a strainer/net over the pot like you were making a “chef’s hat” for the pot to wear! And voila!! You have a mini caterpillar dome right over your potted plants to keep the cats in and critters out!

5. Gloves
Thin cloth garden gloves will not protect your hands as nicely. Look for thin leather gloves that are not too bulky on your hand. And then again, you don’t need gloves at all if you don’t mind a few stings here and there!

6. Caterpillars
You will receive on June 25th SIX RA caterpillars aka “cats”. That is a half dozen. That’s not very many!? …. You say??! I say it is enough for now. We are aiming for QUALITY, not quantity in this course. These guys eat a lot of nettle so we want to be sure there is enough for everyone to reach “wing”dom! Cats are included in your auxiliary course fees. We will start class officially the day after you receive your cats. Instructions for the cats will be included in the package.

7. Optional Items
Magnifying glass, camera, tea cup ……if I have left anything out we will discover that together!

Course fee:
$40 Full member
$50 Assoc. member
$60 Supporter
$85 Non-member

The cost of the plants, caterpillars, shipping containers and shipping is $38.00. All fees must be paid prior to any shipment of course materials.

Register with payment by March 25
On-Line course starts June 26

Or mail a check to:
Linda Marchman
Association for Butterflies
6085 Midway Road – Charlottesville, VA 22903 USA
Phone: 434-823-3666