How to resolve AdBlock issue? WILTON — Last week, the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park released its event schedule for the remainder of 2019, as well as the timing for the 2020 Moonlight Ski and Snowshoe event.
There are eight events listed for the remaining two months of the year, with some repeating on a monthly cycle, although Tori Herkalo, Education Coordinator and Environmental Educator for the Preserve, said that more events could be added in the future, such as the transit of Mercury next week on Nov. 11.
The earliest listed event took place this past Monday, Nov. 4. It was a Wellness Walk, one of the repeating events, which took place on the Opdahl Trailhead. The Walks focus on gentle exercise for the participants.
Herkalo said that sometimes the walks have people, other times they do not, and that on average there are around seven to eight participants. For the winter walks, she said that the Preserve provides snowshoes.
The other main repeating event at the Preserve are Preschool Nature Hours, which take place once per month on a Monday at 10:30 a.m. Herkalo said that the walks teach the children about nature and include a healthy snack, like apple slices. The next Preschool Nature Hour is set for Nov. 25, and the following for Dec. 9.
Additionally, there are Autumn Discovery Hikes this weekend, on Sunday, Nov. 10, at Camp Saratoga North. The nature walk will teach about how trees and animals adapt to the winter season, and will cover approximately a mile of terrain over the course of an hour and a half.
Herkalo said that she would be leading the Discovery walk, and that it is an educational walk geared towards families, but that seniors like to come as well and that the program is adaptable to the audience.
Registration for the event is required, and participants will meet at the trailhead kiosk by Parking Lot #1. The event will not happen if there is rain.
During November, there is also an Eagle Scout Project in Camp Saratoga on the weekends of Nov.16 and Nov.23. According to Herkalo, Boy Scout Trevor Borden’s Eagle Project is to build a shed to house winter grooming equipment. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the Preserve Office for more information.
During December, there are two events currently listed. First is an ornament making workshop on Saturday, Dec. 7, where people will be able to make ornaments out of natural materials sourced from the Preserve, such as pinecones.
Second, the Preserve will be holding its annual meeting, holiday reception and photography show on Monday, Dec. 16, with the Meeting starting at 6 p.m. and going for an hour and the reception and photography show starting afterward and running for an hour and a half.
The final event currently listed is the Annual Moonlight Ski and Snowshoe event on Saturday, Jan 11, starting at 6 p.m., where two-and-a-half miles of trails are lit with candles and bonfires, allowing participants to walk the Preserve at night. According to Herkalo, they are announcing Moonlight Walk so early due to it being the single most popular event of the year for the Preserve.
Due to the sheer popularity of the event, the Preserve will be issuing free tickets to participate, with donors to the Preserve getting first choice on Jan 2, and the public gaining access on Jan 6. Those interested in joining the Preserve or hearing about the details of its operation can go to a Volunteer Meeting on Monday, Nov. 18. According to Herkalo, the meeting includes both what the workers need to get done at the Preserve and a presentation for entertainment, such as when one of the Preserve’s interns, a Skidmore College student, presented their findings from a trip to New Zealand.
For more information, visit the Preserve’s website and www. wiltonpreserve.org.
