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[In photos: Proud Pop JB with his aspiring artist daughters Jillian and Megan (front photo); Ava, Isabel and Christian working with watercolors; Predators Live Animal program presented by Adirondack Wildlife Refuge; Cora makes a splash with parents Kate and John; Mom Jersey gets the snap with her family posing pretty in a sea of blue lupine. Photos by www.PhotoAndGraphic.com.]
GANSEVOORT — Despite continued wet weather, many families turned out on June 4 for a Wildlife Festival that marked the start of the summer season at Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park on Scout Road.
A promotional flyer referred to the Sunday festival as “a day of nature walks, live animals, crafts, and hands-on fun as we celebrate the Karner blue butterfly and the animals of the Saratoga Sandplains.”
In a report submitted to the Wilton Town Board ahead of the event, Margo Bloom Olson, executive director of the wildlife preserve, said she anticipates a “great year for lupine.” The flowering plant is widely known to attract Karner blue butterflies.
Olson reported that the “first brood” of the famed butterflies appeared in the park in late May and “should be out for the next few weeks.”
“After the lupine sets seed, volunteers will go out and help pick seeds to plant in other areas,” Olson wrote.
Aside from monthly “wellness walks” and a slew of other events planned for the summer season, Olson indicated that park staff are involved in a trail mapping project with local groups and habitat research in association with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
For a full listing of events and programs at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, call 518-450-0321 or visit the website www.wiltonpreserve.org.
