Rain or Shine June 5th: Annual Wilton Wildlife Festival
Even with the rainy forecast, the festival will be taking place. Most of the activities will be under cover in the Dining Hall at Camp Saratoga.June 5th Wildlife Festival at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park’s Historic Camp Saratoga
On Sunday, June 5th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will be hosting a Wildlife Festival at Historic Camp Saratoga on Scout Road in Gansevoort. The event will feature Karner blue butterfly walks, live animal programs, nature crafts, pond exploration, and hands-on fun. This is the time of year for the hatching of the first brood of the Karner blue butterflies and the blooming of the wild blue lupine 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.There will be live animal programs presented by Silent Wings taking place at 11:45, 12:45 and 1:45 with live hawks and owls. This program is sponsored by Ballston Spa National Bank. There will be other live animals to see with reptile and amphibian displays and pond exploration programs. At the pond, volunteers will be on hand with dip nets to help people discover the animals that live there. Search and Rescue Dogs from the Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue will be holding demonstrations throughout the festival.At 12:30 there will be an award ceremony for the winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest. Over 300 entries were received from 22 schools in the region and many of the entries will be on display during the festival. At the ceremony, the contest winners from each of the categories will receive their $50 cash prize. The winner in the Elementary School Category was Nora Hughes, a fourth grade student in Ms. DeFilippo’s class at Schuylerville Elementary School. The winner in the Middle School Category was Julia Metivier, a seventh grade student in Ms. Keating’s class at Queensbury Middle School. The High School winner was Evan Sciancalepore, a ninth grade student from Shenendahowa High School.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. Volunteers will lead the walks and will explain the efforts that New York State DEC and The Nature Conservancy have made in improving and increasing the habitat for this endangered species. Because of this effort, the Preserve & Park is now home to the largest population of the endangered Karner blue butterflies in the Northeast.Ongoing beginning at 11:00 am there will be numerous craft activities taking place in locations around Camp Saratoga. These will include beaded dragonflies, coffee filter butterflies, watercolor painting, and fish printing. There will be information tables about the Preserve & Park, the trail system, and the Blanding’s Turtle. Other local organizations will also be tabling at the festival and will include the Hudson Crossing Park, Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue, New York State DEC Saratoga Tree Nursery, and the Saratoga Springs Public Library.During the festival the Donald A. Collins Memorial Fire Observer’s Cabin it will be open along with the 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.Festival goers will be able to purchase hamburgers, veggie burgers, all-beef hot dogs, and cold drinks at the BBQ pit. There will also be 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 International Paper 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.