The Town of Wilton and
Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park

In 1996, The Nature Conservancy and its partners established the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park as a special community based conservation program — a balance between people, community and habitat. The program's mission is to preserve the land, ensure the survival of native wildlife and natural communities, protect and provide habitat for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly, create a natural area for education and recreation, and maintain the rural character of the local community.

Partners: The program represents a partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, Inc., the Town of Wilton, and the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. Additional partners include the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation; NY State Department of Transportation; NY State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Saratoga County; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and private landowners and citizens.

Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park Facts

• Location: 80 Scout Road, Town of Wilton, Saratoga County, New York; 518-450-0321
• Size: Approximately 1,600 acres; the goal is to protect 3,000 total acres.
• Plant Species: Pitch pine, little bluestem grass, wild blue lupine
• Animal Species: Eastern hognose snakes, eastern spadefoot toads, Blanding's turtles, Karner blue butterfly, and frosted elfin.
• Ecological Importance: The preserve and park support more than 120 species of birds and more than 70 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

 
Threats: Development and land conversion are causing habitat fragmentation and loss. Open areas are becoming reforested due to fire suppression and the decline of agriculture, which reduces available habitat for blue lupine and other plant species that provide nectar to butterflies and food for their larvae.

Conservation Targets:

• Recovery of the Karner blue butterfly is the principal focus of the project.
   
• The state-threatened frosted elfin is also a focus of recovery efforts.

Conservation Strategy:
The Nature Conservancy, together with local, state and federal agencies, is applying the best conservation science toward restoring and managing the Karner blue butterfly's habitat, using the following strategies.

• Clearing vegetation and natural and man-made barriers to butterfly distribution.
• Planting native flora to provide butterflies with sufficient nectar and their larvae with sufficient food. 
• Identifying critical butterfly habitat using innovative science, and protecting that habitat through fee acquisition and conservation easements.

To find out more, visit the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park's website http://www.wiltonpreserve.org/

Learn more about the recent acquisition of 89 acres of prime Karner blue butterfly habitat by clicking here.