Karner Blue Butterflies: 2nd Brood is Here!

The second brood of the endangered Karner blue butterflies have begun to be seen.  These adults will lay the eggs that will overwinter until next spring.There are several trails in the Preserve & Park where you can observe these small blue butterflies. The most accessible are at Camp Saratoga where the trail leaves from parking lot #1.  The other trails are Old Gick Farm and Fox which are accessed from parking areas off of Route 50, just north of King Road.  The Preserve & Park is home to the largest population of these endangered butterflies in the Northeast.There are several opportunities to take a guided nature walk to look for the butterflies.  These walks will take place on Thursdays starting on July 10 and continuing through the month of July.  The walks will be offered twice a day, at 11:00 am and again at 4:00 pm.  The walks leave from the parking area for the Old Gick Farm on Route 50 which is just under 4 miles past Wilton Mall. The walks should last about an hour and cover a mile of gently rolling terrain.The next few weeks will be ideal for seeing many of the newly emerged butterflies as they search for nectar and mates in the open pine/oak savannah that is their habitat in the Saratoga Sandplains.  The walks will not take place if there is rain.  Please dress appropriately for weather and insects.For more information about the walk and to pre-register, please contact the Park Office at 450-0321 or visit the website at www.wiltonpreserve.org.  The Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is a non-profit organization that conserves ecological systems and natural settings while providing opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation.