By: Environmental Educator, Magnolia Roosa ~ May 23, 2024

For all of you that have been wondering, yes! It is that time where the beloved Karner blue butterflies come out! For a while we had only been seeing the Eastern-tailed blue, a common native look-alike, but Karner blue butterfly sightings have been confirmed. Throughout our many public programs and field trips, we’ve seen patches of wild blue lupine popping up all across the meadow. Most have started flowering, and seeing those bright purple petals against the beige of the sand and the greens of the grasses is such a heartwarming reminder that Spring, and the butterflies, are here.

If you’ve never seen the Karner blue butterflies or the wild blue lupine, you’re truly missing out. We’ve heard of people traveling from all over the country to see these small, but beautiful butterflies and their favorite purple flowers. Unfortunately, the Karner blue butterfly is federally endangered, meaning it’s more important than ever to protect this species from extinction. Luckily, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is made up of conserved parcels of land that are the perfect habitat for our blue butterfly friends, and many other plant and animal species! Our partners at New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Saratoga County, the Town of Wilton, and The Nature Conservancy own the protected lands and are working to help protect this beautiful endangered species.

Karner blues depend on the Wild blue lupine throughout its entire lifecycle. Their eggs will be laid on the underside of the lupine’s sundial shaped leaves, the caterpillars will eat the leaves, and the butterflies will drink the nectar. If the wild blue lupine isn’t around, we won’t be seeing any of the Karner blues either. Despite the sandy soil that makes up the meadow habitats, (which was formerly the sandy lakebed of Glacial Lake Albany) the lupines have no problem growing. In fact, the lupine plants adapted to such dry, open conditions by growing extra-long taproots which go deep into the sand to get water.

We’re so excited that the Karner blue butterflies are finally here! Now that they’re out, be sure to visit soon because each brood is only around for a couple weeks! Then they lay their eggs to start the cycle again with a new and final brood coming out in late June or July. The trails are open from dawn to dusk, so be sure to bring your family, friends, and any other nature-lovers in your life to see these incredible butterflies. If you’d like a more guided introduction, check out our calendar of public programs and look for our Karner Blue Butterfly Walks. On these walks, an educator will tell you all about the Karner blues, all while walking through eye-catching fields of wild blue lupine. If you’re lucky, one might even land on your shoe! We will also be offering tours of the meadow and the Karner blue butterflies at our Wildlife Festival on Sunday, June 2nd at Camp Saratoga. One of our most anticipated events of the year, the Wildlife Festival brings together many local, outdoor organizations while offering crafts, hands-on activities, food trucks, and so much more.

Until then, we hope to see you on the trails as we welcome in the arrival of the beloved butterflies!