Karner Blue Butterflies - First Brood Emerges in the Saratoga Sandplains
During the week of May 15th, the first Karner blue butterflies of the year were observed at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. The first brood, or generation, is usually seen later in May, so the early appearance was a thrill for passing hikers. The endangered Karner blue butterflies spend the winter as an egg on the underside of the wild blue lupine flower then hatch into their larval stage to feed on the wild blue lupine. This first brood of adult butterflies will mate and lay eggs on the wild blue lupine and those eggs will hatch and form the second brood, with more butterflies appearing usually in early July.
The wild blue lupine is also in bloom, covering the meadows in a carpet of lavender-colored flowers. There are several trails in the Preserve & Park to observe the beautiful flowers and small blue butterflies. The most accessible trails are at Camp Saratoga, where the trail leaves from Parking lot #1 on Scout Road and follows a slow incline into the meadow, less than 0.5 miles. The other trails are at Old Gick Farm and Fox, which are accessed from parking areas off of Route 50, just north of King Road. The next few weeks will be ideal for seeing many of the newly emerged Karner blue butterflies as they search for nectar and mates in the open pine/oak savannah that is their habitat in the Saratoga Sandplains.
There are many opportunities for guided nature walks to look for the Karner blue. These walks will take place on Wednesdays, starting on May 31 and continuing through June 28. The walks will take place at 1:30pm every week and leave from the parking area at Old Gick Farm on Route 50, which is just under 4 miles past Wilton Mall. The walks last about an hour and cover a mile of gently rolling terrain. There is also a walk scheduled on Saturday, June 10 at 1:30pm . The walks will not take place if there is rain. Please dress appropriately for weather and insects.
There will also be “Karner Blue Butterfly Walks” at the Annual Wildlife Festival on Sunday, June 4 at Camp Saratoga on Scout Road in Gansevoort. At this free event, there will be hourly butterfly walks starting at 11:15am. At the festival there will also be live raptor programs, pond exploration, nature crafts, and other hands-on activities. The festival runs from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and is free of charge.
For more information about the walks and to register, please contact the Park Office at 518-450-0321 or email info@wiltonpreserve.org. For up to date program trail and program information, 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.
