Annual Wildlife Festival on Sunday, June 4 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

On Sunday, June 4th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will be hosting its Wildlife Festival at Historic Camp Saratoga on Scout Road in Wilton.  The event will feature Karner blue butterfly walks, live animal programs, nature crafts, pond exploration, and hands-on fun.  The first brood of the Karner blue butterflies and the blooming of the wild blue lupine will be at their peak so it is a great time to visit the Preserve & Park and see it in its full beauty.  Activities will take place throughout the Camp Saratoga to encourage people to get out and explore the wonderful trail system since the Wildlife Festival is a registered National Trails Day event.  All activities are offered free to the public. We encourage people to carpool, bike, blade, walk, or share rides with others since parking in limited.

 Scheduled activities include two live animal programs at 11:45 am and 1:30 pm highlighting native raptors presented by the Trish Marki of Silent Wings.  This program is sponsored by Ballston Spa National Bank.  At 11:00 there will be an award ceremony for the winners of the Annual Earth Day Essay Contest.  Almost 200 entries were received from schools from all over the region and even beyond New York State!  At the ceremony, the contest winners from each of the categories will receive their $50 cash prize. 

 There will a lupine and Karner blue butterfly information pavilion and hourly walks beginning at 11:15 am to explore the Saratoga Sandplains Habitat Restoration area.  Educators from Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will lead the walks and share information about the efforts that New York State DEC and The Nature Conservancy have made in improving and increasing the habitat for this endangered species. 

 Ongoing beginning at 11:00 am there will be numerous craft activities taking place in locations around Camp Saratoga.  These will include coffee filter butterflies, clay printing, and watercolor painting.  Other local organizations will also be tabling at the festival and will include the Capital Region PRISM, Friends of Moreau Lake State Park, Glens Falls – Saratoga Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club, Grafton Lakes State Park, Grassland Bird Trust, Hop on Home Rabbit Sanctuary, Hudson Crossing Park, Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue, Saratoga Springs Public Library, Southern Adirondack Audubon, and The Wild Center.

At the pond, volunteers will be on hand with dip nets to help people discover the animals that live there. There will be other live animals to see with the naturalists from Moreau Lake State Park. 

 During the festival the Donald A. Collins Memorial Fire Observer’s Cabin will be open along with the Historic Cornell Hill Fire Tower.  For safety reasons, the Fire Tower is restricted to visitors over the age of five and children who want to climb the tower need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

 This year food will be available from the Greenfork. Wilton Preserve volunteers will be selling barbequed all-beef hot dogs and cheese pizza along with a bake sale of homemade goods.

 The Festival will take place Rain or Shine with many of the activities moving under cover of Camp Saratoga’s many Pavilions, the dining hall and the Winter Lodge.  Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is a non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve ecological systems and natural settings while providing opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation.  For more information please call the Preserve & Park office at 450-0321 or visit the website at www.wiltonpreserve.org.