Margo Bloom Olson Appointed Executive Director

The Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park (WWPP) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Margo Bloom Olson as Executive Director. The Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is a partnership between the Town of Wilton, Saratoga County, The Nature Conservancy, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Preserve & Park is part of the geologically significant Saratoga Sandplains, an area of ancient sand dunes, where there are small but important wetlands and diverse ecological communities. It is home to the largest population of the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly in the eastern United States. While working to ensure a future for the Karner blue butterfly and other species, the Preserve & Park helps people of all ages to enjoy the protected lands, appreciate the area’s beauty, and value nature’s importance.As Executive Director, Ms. Olson will be responsible for advancing the mission of the WWPP, including overseeing its initiatives in educational programming, conservation and recreation. Ms. Olson plans to start at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park on November 1, 2010.Ms. Olson began her professional career in environmental education when she worked as an Interpretive Ranger for the National Park Service in Grand Canyon and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks. She worked as an Environmental Educator for the Five Rivers Environmental Center before developing environmental programming, exhibits and curricula as Director of Education at the Junior Museum in Troy, which has recently become the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology.Ms. Olson has extensive experience in fundraising and community volunteer initiatives in Saratoga County. She helped lead the recent fundraising effort to create new playgrounds and outdoor recreation space at Lake Avenue School in Saratoga Springs. This project involved a $25,000 legislative grant from New York State and resulted in raising a total of more than $150,000 in donated funds, goods and services for the school.Ms. Olson’s local experience includes serving as Curator of Education at the National Museum of Racing and her most recent position at Skidmore College was as a member of the Office of Campus Life. She serves on the Advisory Board of Children and Nature Saratoga and has been a consultant for several projects with the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. As the new Executive Director of WWPP, she will be responsible for collaborating with public, private and non-profit partners to further the goals of the organization.“We’re delighted to have Margo Olson as our new Executive Director. She brings a wealth of experience in all aspects of our mission, including conservation, education, and recreation,” said Linda Baker, Chair of the Executive Board of Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park. “We look forward to her leadership.”After learning of her appointment, Ms. Olson stated, “It is an honor to be selected for the Executive Director position at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. The Park and Preserve is such a wonderful place. Its lands are a treasure, providing the perfect environment to fulfill the mission of the organization. I am looking forward to working with the numerous constituents served by the WWPP and in finding new and creative ways of reaching out to the public to expand the regional awareness of this exceptional community resource.”