Kids Get Outdoors with Field Trips at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park

While there is still snow on the ground, now is the time to be planning for spring field trips! Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park offers outdoor programs for students of all grades, from elementary to high school. Popular programs include the Habitats of the Saratoga Sandplains, Water Wellness, Journaling Ecosystems, Analyzing Habitats, and Karner Blue Butterfly Walks. These field trips, led by the knowledgeable environmental educators of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, take place at Camp Saratoga on land owned by the Town of Wilton and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. All school programs offered by Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park meet New York State Educational Standards so teachers can have their curricular needs met while enhancing their students’ educational experience with a field trip.

Spaces for these field trips fill up so it is better to make reservations sooner rather than later. While public programs run by the Preserve & Park are free, there is a charge for field trips. Teachers can look into defraying the cost of the field trips through their local BOCES for reimbursement or through the New York State Parks Program; Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip Grants. For more information on these programs or to register, visit the Preserve & Park’s website at wiltonpreserve.org or call the office at 518-450-0321. The full program brochure can be found under the Education/Programs heading on the website, under School Groups. 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. 

Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is a non-profit organization partnering with the Town of Wilton, Saratoga County, NYS DEC, and The Nature Conservancy to conserve ecological systems and natural settings while providing opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation. Almost 2,400 acres protect significant habitats and over 25 miles of trails provide a wonderfully fun, healthy, and educational resource for the community. Educational and recreational opportunities are at the heart of the organization. We provide a full range of year-round programs for the public and for local schools, scout groups, and others at the Preserve & Park and off-site. Special events include our Wildlife Festival, Campfire Chats, Moonlight Walks, and Fun Runs. The Preserve & Park is part of the Saratoga Sandplains, an area of ancient sand dunes, small but important wetlands and diverse ecological communities, home to the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly, the threatened frosted elfin, and the hognose snake, a species of special concern. The Karner blue butterfly was the catalyst to conserve this rare landscape in 1996, and within a few years, other extremely rare species, the eastern spadefoot toad and Blanding’s turtle, were discovered on its protected lands.