Wildlife Week with Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park
WILTON — Due to social distancing requirements, instead of a one-day Wildlife Festival on Sunday, May 31, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will be hosting a Wildlife Week.
The Festival Week will kick-off with a Facebook LIVE Turtle Discovery Program at 10 a.m. on May 31. Each day through June 6, the Wilton Preserve will premiere a short video or host a live event that is based on the in-person events that would have taken place at the annual festival at Camp Saratoga. These will premiere daily at 10 a.m. on the Wilton Preserve’s Facebook page and the videos will be posted to its YouTube channel.
The schedule of virtual, online activities for the week is:
• Sunday, May 31: Facebook LIVE Turtle Discovery
• Monday, June 1: Karner Blue Butterfly Walk via Video
• Tuesday, June 2: Video Nature Craft at Home
• Wednesday, June 3: “Who Will Roar if I Go?” Online Storybook Reading
• Thursday, June 4: A Video Exploration and History of the Historic Cornell Hill Fire Tower
• Friday, June 5: Aquatic Freshwater Wildlife Exploration Video from Delegan Pond
• Saturday, June 6: National Trails Day Trail Highlight Video – Get outside and visit a trail
Even though there cannot be a large gathering, everyone is encouraged to get outdoors in the coming weeks and explore the trails at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park while maintaining safe social distancing. This is the time of year when the meadows are filled with the stunning purple blossoms of the wild blue lupine. The first brood of the Karner blue butterflies has been observed, making these next two weeks an ideal time to visit the Preserve & Park and see it in its full beauty.
The last day of the Festival Week is June 6, National Trails Day, a perfect time to get out and explore the wonderful trail system at the Wilton Preserve. The more than 25 miles of trails are found on NYS DEC, Saratoga County, and Town of Wilton lands, and Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park works closely with its partners to help keep these trails in shape for outdoor recreational activities.
The best trails for viewing the lupine and butterflies are Camp Saratoga North on Scout Road, the Old Gick Farm and Fox trailheads on Route 50 north of King Road, the Opdahl Farm off of Ballard Road by the Trinity Church, and Edie Road trailhead south of Scout Road on Edie Road.