From L. to R. are: Donn Valenti, owner of the Sandpiper; Jim Jauquet, Ridges board member; Lee Traven, son of Ridges founder Olivia Traven; Lawrie Kull, Ridges board member; and, Steve Leonard, Executive Director.

Earlier this year, The Ridges Sanctuary selected the Sandpiper property as the site for its new Interpretive Center. The property, located at the corner of Hwy 57 and Ridges Road, is ideally situated to provide a much-needed visible public entrance to the Sanctuary. The new building is the centerpiece of an expanded vision for the Sanctuary which will celebrate its 75^th anniversary in 2012. That vision includes not only the Interpretive Center, but also addresses the development of programs, media, trail systems, and other site improvements which will enhance the visitor experience and help to tell The Ridges’ story. Conceptual designs can be viewed online.

“The property acquisition marks the end of the first key phase of fundraising,” says Steve Leonard, Executive Director at The Ridges. “We now have an unprecedented opportunity to advance the vision of our founders. It was so fitting that Lee Traven was able to be with us as we took this important step toward securing their legacy.”

Traven’s mother Olivia was an active member of the Baileys Harbor Women’s Club and one of the co-founders of The Ridges Sanctuary. His father Fred volunteered as a Boy Scout leader for 28 years and also served as president of The Ridges. Traven credits his parents with instilling in him a commitment to give back to the community.

“We couldn’t have had a more enthusiastic and positive response to this project from our membership – and not only local members, but members throughout the country,“ notes Leonard. “It clearly signals that they understand the opportunity we have to link and unify the areas of our campus and to connect a greater number of people to the Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor and Door County.”

On Friday, November 4, The Ridges will host an open house at The Cornerstone Pub & Restaurant in Baileys Harbor from 3 – 5 pm in appreciation for the support received for the project.  For more information about the open house, call 920.839.2802.

The organization will continue to fundraise during 2012 with construction of the new building expected to begin in 2013.

Non-native earthworms, and the threats they pose to our native ecosystems, will be the topic of the monthly meeting of the Door County Invasive Species Team (DCIST) on Monday, September 26. Invasive Species Specialist, Bernie Williams with the Wisconsin DNR, will present the program at 2 pm at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay.

Scientists believe that the native earthworms in North America were literally pushed out by several glacial advances. After the glaciers, many ecosystems were naturally repopulated with plants, but not with earthworms. When European settlers arrived, they brought along plants – and soil and worms – from their homeland, which then spread from farmland into native forests and prairies. Once established, the earthworms can reduce the amount of leaf litter present and actually change the soil chemistry, making it unsuitable for some native plants.

The purpose of the Door County Invasive Species Team is to halt the invasion of exotic non-native plants by empowering citizens with the education, the tools and the skills necessary to control invasive species. Educational programs are held monthly. DCIST also runs an equipment loan program and coordinates work parties and educational workshops throughout the county. For more information, contact Marne Kaeske, DCIST Coordinator, at 920.839.2802.

From the endangered Hines Emerald dragonfly to the rare Ram’s-head Lady Slipper orchid, the Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor provides refuge for some of Door County’s rarest treasures and is home base for the DCIST. But the Sanctuary provides refuge for people as well – it was described by a visitor as “a spot of heaven on earth in the midst of the chaos going on in the outside world.” Over 5 miles of trails are open year-round for self-guided hiking. The Nature Store, featuring a wide selection of nature-related books, puppets, T-shirts and gift items, is open daily from mid-May through mid-October.  The Sanctuary is located at 8288 Hwy Q, just off Hwy 57, in Baileys Harbor. For more information, call 920.839.2802 or visit http://RidgesSanctuary.org.

Naturalist Guided Hikes
September 1 through October 15, Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 am

Join one of the Ridges naturalists for a relaxed walk through the Sanctuary. Learn about the history of the Ridges, the Baileys Harbor Rangelights, and of course the diverse wildflowers of this unique natural area. Suitable for all ages. $5 per person Ridges members, $8 nonmembers, children under 18 free.

Tuesday, September 27
9 – 11 am – Barberry Pirates

The Barberry Pirates are a hearty crew of volunteers who work to control the exotic plants that threaten the Ridges. Each week they attack the dreaded barberry, the pernicious crown vetch, as well as swamp thistle and a host of others. New pirates are always welcome, and snacks are provided after the raid!

Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1
1 pm – Logan Creek Rambles

Enjoy a relaxing fall hike through the Ridges Sanctuary’s Logan Creek Property near Jacksonport. Fall colors should be nearing their peak, and some fall wildflowers will be in bloom as well. The same hike will be given each day. $5 per adult, no charge for children under 18.

Saturday, October 1
8:30 am – noon – Fall Clean Up Day

Help get the Sanctuary ready for winter by sprucing up trails, putting up storm windows, raking leaves and other large and small chores. Volunteers of all ages welcome! Come for a couple of hours or for the whole morning. Chili lunch provided for all volunteers.

Dr. William Cronon

As part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations, the Door County Land Trust is pleased to welcome renowned conservationist, historian and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor, Dr. William Cronon, to deliver a keynote address at the Birch Creek Performance Center in Egg Harbor on Friday, September 23 at 7 pm.

“We’re thrilled to be offering Door County a speaker of this caliber,” states Door County Land Trust executive director, Dan Burke. “The land conservation community is strong in Door County. As embark on our next 25 years of preserving the places we love, Dr. Cronon’s message will help inform our vision. We encourage all who can to join us. This is an event not to be missed.”

Dr. Cronon is the Frederick Jackson Turner Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-­Madison. He served for more than a decade as a member of the Yale History Department. In 2003, he was named Vilas Research Professor at UW-Madison, the university’s most distinguished chaired professorship.

Cronon has served on the Governing Council of The Wilderness Society since 1995 and on the National Board of the Trust for Public Land since 2003. He is currently President of the American Historical Association. He is the author of numerous award-winning books and was featured prominently in Ken Burns’ recent series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.

Cronon seeks to understand the history of human interactions with the natural world: how we depend on the ecosystems around us to sustain our material lives, how we modify the landscapes in which we live and work, and how our ideas of nature shape our relationships with the world around us.

Born September 11, 1954 in New Haven, Connecticut, Cronon received his B.A. (1976) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He holds an M.A. (1979), M.Phil. (1980), and Ph.D. (1990) from Yale, and a D.Phil. (1981) from Oxford University. Cronon has been a Rhodes Scholar, Danforth Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and MacArthur Fellow; has won prizes for his teaching at both Yale and Wisconsin.

This event is open to the public and is offered at no charge. A dessert and coffee reception will follow the lecture. Reservations are appreciated but not required. To make a reservation, please call 920.746.1359 or email info@doorcountylandtrust.org.

The Door County Land Trust is celebrating 25 years of preserving Door County’s finest open spaces and wild places. The Land Trust is a local, non-profit organization supported by over 2,000 contributing members. Its mission is to preserve, maintain and enhance lands that contribute significantly to the scenic beauty, open space and ecological integrity of Door County. Since its inception in 1986, the Land Trust has protected nearly 6,000 acres throughout Door County. Nature preserves owned by the Door County Land Trust are open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, skiing and other low-impact recreational and educational activities. More information on the Door County Land Trust and the Cronon Keynote Address is available at www.doorcountylandtrust.org.

Representatives of the Land Trust will be offering guided and self-guided hikes at four nature preserves located throughout the county and will be available to answer questions about the preserves and the work of the Land Trust.  The Land Trust nature preserves featured this weekend are:

• the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Preserve in Sturgeon Bay,
• the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve near Carlsville,
• the Kangaroo Lake Nature Preserve outside of Baileys Harbor and
• the Three Springs Nature Preserve approximately two miles east of Sister Bay.

Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve

One-hour guided hikes will be offered at 3 pm and 4 pm on Friday and 9:30 am and 10:30 am on Saturday. Those preferring a self-guided hike may arrive and depart at any time and maps will be available. The hikes will be held rain or shine and are offered at no charge and no reservations are necessary.

For directions to these four preserves and other Door County Land Trust nature preserves, please visit www.DoorCountyLandTrust.org or call 920.746.1359.  We recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a bottle of water.

The Door County Land Trust is celebrating 25 years of preserving Door County’s finest open spaces and wild places. It is a local, non-profit organization supported by over 2,000 contributing members. Its mission is to preserve, maintain and enhance lands that contribute significantly to the scenic beauty, open space and ecological integrity of Door County. Since its inception in 1986, the Land Trust has protected nearly 6,000 acres throughout Door County. Nature preserves owned by the Door County Land Trust are open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, skiing and other low-impact recreational and educational activities.

The Door County Land Trust has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire and permanently protect what is commonly referred to as the “Grand View” property at the top of the hill in Ellison Bay. If completed, the purchase will save a popular scenic vista and prevent a large-scale development project from continuing at this site. The Land Trust has until June 30 to raise the remaining funds needed to protect this 16-acre parcel. If fundraising efforts are successful, the Land Trust expects to complete the purchase of the Grand View property by the end of July.

Fundraising for this purchase got a big boost recently when the Door County Land Trust learned that two large grants it had applied for have been awarded. The Land Trust is poised to receive a $600,750 Scenic Byway grant from the National Highway Department and a $395,755 grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund of Wisconsin. The Land Trust must now raise $111,519 in private donations to complete the land acquisition project.

“The Grand View property is one of the most recognizable and beloved views in the county and the state,” states Terrie Cooper, Land Program Director for the Door County Land Trust. “When it became apparent that what had ‘always been here’ might not be here for future generations, the Land Trust began efforts to permanently protect this one-of-a-kind property. We are confident that the community will step forward to help us raise the remaining funds needed to preserve what is truly one of Door County’s natural treasures.”

“The Grand View property is a million dollar-plus project for the Land Trust,” continues Cooper. “We invest significant organizational resources in procuring state and federal grants.  The grants, however, do not cover all of the costs. Therefore, we rely heavily on private donations to help pay for and protect properties like Grand View and many others we are currently working on throughout the county.”

The Grand View property is privately owned, but is visited and photographed by thousands of residents and tourists each year. For decades the landowner maintained this iconic view shed and allowed the public access to this scenic vista. When a 44-unit condominium and residential project was approved for the property and four of the proposed units constructed, continued public enjoyment of this view came into question.

If the Land Trust is successful in acquiring the Grand View property, development on the 16 acres it purchases will be permanently prohibited and the Grand View Scenic Overlook and Park will be established. The park will be open to the public for sightseeing, hiking, picnicking and other low-impact recreational uses. The upper 4 acres of the property will be mowed and maintained as a scenic overlook; the lower 12 acres which include marshy wetlands and two ponds located along the south side of Hillside Drive will undergo habitat restoration and become the site of a new hiking trail system. The current landowners will retain ownership of a small parcel of land adjacent to the 16-acre parcel the Land Trust hopes to acquire; any future development that may take place on the retained parcel will not impact the scenic overlook.

Once a master land management plan for the proposed Grand View Scenic Overlook and Park is written and in place, the Land Trust will transfer ownership and management of the property to the Town of Liberty Grove.

The proposed Grand View Scenic Overlook and Park is the first project along the newly-designated Door County Coastal Byway to be approved for federal Scenic Byway grant funding.  In April of 2010, a 66-mile stretch of highways 42 and 57 north of Sturgeon Bay was officially declared a Wisconsin Scenic Byway.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Scenic Byways are “highway corridors that offer travelers outstanding scenic views combined with recreational and/or cultural attributes.” According to the Wisconsin Scenic Byway’s Citizen Handbook, designation “supports tourism and economic development…strengthens civic pride, and makes communities more attractive places to live and work.”

Ellison Bay resident, Land Trust board member and local business owner, Dave Callsen, is enthusiastic about Grand View’s value to the Door County community. “My wife Vonnie and I drive into Ellison Bay every day and always slow down to marvel at the remarkable view. This very special place has been naively taken for granted until the past few years when the potential for development became real. We now have an opportunity to make sure this incomparable Door County vista will be here for everyone… ALWAYS!  I encourage all who can to help preserve it.”

Contributions to the Door County Land Trust may be sent to DCLT, P.O. Box 65, Sturgeon Bay, WI  54235 or made online at www.doorcountylandtrust.org.  Any funds raised in excess of those needed for the Grand View project will be used to protect other scenic and ecologically valuable lands throughout Door County.  Additional information on the Grand View property and proposed purchase is also available at this site.  To learn more about the Door County Coastal Byway visit www.doorcountycoastalbyway.com.

The Door County Land Trust is a local, non-profit organization celebrating its 25^th year of preserving Door County’s finest open spaces and wild places.  Since 1986, the Door County Land Trust has permanently protected over 5,500 acres throughout Door County.   Visit the Land Trust’s website to find out more about the Land Trust and for maps and directions to Land Trust nature preserves.

Photo courtesy of DoorCountyKayakTours.com

The grant will help the DNR acquire a 2.4 acre parcel of coastal wetlands and 200 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline, habitat for both the Federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly and Federally threatened Dwarf lake iris, announced Tom Melius, Midwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The parcel is within the boundary of The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, and is also part of the greater Baileys Harbor State Natural Area project. The funds were made available under the 2011 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program which is funded by money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

“The Midwest Region is proud to continue to support the ecological diversity of the Door Peninsula by working with our partners to acquire priority coastal wetlands for long-term preservation,” Melius says. “Within the last two years, the Coastal Grant Program has awarded more than $1 million to conservation projects in Door County, affirming our commitment to this treasured resource.”

The Door Peninsula provides important feeding and spawning habitat for native and sport fish, nesting and stop-over habitat for migratory birds and hosts a diverse array of plants found only in the Great Lakes region.

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. The northern Door project was the only one in Wisconsin awarded funding for this year. A complete list of projects funded by the 2011 grant program can be found online.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support the majority of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species. The Coastal Grant Program is a vital tool in helping to recover listed species and maintaining populations of candidate species that depend on coastal habitats.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

The Door County Land Trust announces a significant land purchase within the City of Sturgeon Bay that preserves 112 acres along the west shore of Sturgeon Bay near the entrance to the Sturgeon Bay ship canal.  The property lies along Strawberry Lane about 2 miles southeast of downtown Sturgeon Bay and Strawberry Creek bisects the parcel.  The property also borders the Land Trust’s Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve.

Strawberry Creek in Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve photo by Julie Schartner

Water is the predominate feature of this newly protected parcel.  It boasts:

• nearly 2,000 feet of Sturgeon Bay shore frontage,
• a 3-acre wildlife pond and
• almost all of Strawberry Creek.

Strawberry Creek originates on the Door County Land Trust’s Ship Canal Nature Preserve and empties into Sturgeon Bay just west of the canal itself.  It is home to the first stocking and egg collection site for Chinook salmon in Wisconsin and continues to be Wisconsin’s primary source of Chinook salmon eggs for Lake Michigan.

The Land Trust established the new Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve in December of last year with the purchase of 332 acres and 750 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline along the south side of the ship canal from the Sturgeon Bay Utilities.  Since this initial purchase, the Land Trust has been hard at work establishing a hiking trail system, cleaning up debris, removing invasive species, and erecting informational signs and kiosks. The recent addition of 112 acres brings the total number of protected acres at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve to nearly 450,  expanding the new  preserve by nearly 30%.

“The Land Trust is very excited about acquiring this property because its protection will have so many positive and lasting impacts for our community,” states Land Trust executive director, Dan Burke. “Those who love to fish will be thrilled to know that Strawberry Creek is protected. Boaters will continue to enjoy the property’s long stretch of undeveloped, scenic shoreline.  And wildlife enthusiasts will celebrate the expanded protection of one of Door County’s most important nature preserves.”

The protection of this land is also important to the Asher family from whom the Land Trust purchased the property. “These 112 acres have been in our family for over 40 years and the land holds a lot of sentimental value for us,” explains Steve Asher.  “My parents acquired the property in 1968 and we kids grew up exploring the lands and waters here.  We couldn’t be happier that the Door County Land Trust is now the steward of this special place.”

Funds for this purchase were provided by a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund grant and a Coastal Wetlands grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Private donations are now being sought to cover remaining project costs including restoration activities and the removal of invasive species like phragmites that threaten the ecological integrity of the shoreline.

The Door County Land Trust is a local, non-profit organization supported by over 2,000 contributing members.  Its mission is to preserve, maintain and enhance lands that contribute significantly to the scenic beauty, open space and ecological integrity of Door County.  Since its inception in 1986, the Land Trust has protected over 5,400 acres throughout Door County.  Many of the lands owned by the Door County Land Trust are open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, skiing and other low-impact recreational and educational activities.

To find out more about the work of the Door County Land Trust, for preserve maps and directions, for information on our hunting program and to make an online contribution of support, please visit www.doorcountylandtrust.org.

Upon completion of the purchase of the land, Door County Land Trust will transfer ownership to the Town of Liberty Grove. The property will be open for hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, cross country skiing, nature study, wildlife observation, and photography.

Public written comments on the proposed acquisition can be mailed to:

Carrie Mickelson, Administrator, Division of Customer and Employee Service
C/O Chris Halbur, Government Outreach Team Supervisor
Wisconsin DNR
2984 Shawano Avenue
Green Bay, WI, 54313

…or sent by email to Christine.Halbur@Wisconsin.gov. If you have questions about this project, Chris Halbur can be reached by phone at 920.662.5121. Written comments will be accepted through December 27, 2010.

The Door County Land Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is to permanently protect lands that contribute significantly to the scenic beauty, open space and ecological integrity of Door County. Since 1986, they have protected over 5,000 acres.  With your help, they have the opportunity to protect thousands of additional acres of the most critical and inspiring natural landscapes in Door County.

Generalized location of the Niagara Escarpment Corridor

They certainly never dreamed that significant chunks of dolomite would end up on the lawn. To a geologist, the Niagara Escarpment is the steep face of a 650-mile rainbow-shaped bedrock ridge that runs from New York, through parts of Canada into Wisconsin. Here in Door County, the Escarpment is revealed as the stunning bluffs along the Green Bay shoreline.

We at Crossroads prefer the more inclusive definition provided by The Niagara Escarpment Resource Network:

“The Niagara Escarpment contains natural communities and rare plants/animals that are restricted to or strongly associated with the near vertical or horizontal exposures of the Escarpment, such as alvars, caves, sinkholes, talus slopes, and rock ledges and moist cliff faces.”

Throughout this year, we’ve presented programs about our fractured bedrock which was formed in layers some 425 (or so) million year ago when what is now Wisconsin was located near the Equator and covered by series of shallow tropical seas. The rock, called dolomite or dolostone, is composed of ancient marine creatures, most of which had limy shells. Originally limestone, dolomite was chemically altered when, over time, magnesium-rich seawater percolated through the layers.

In Roadside Geology of Wisconsin, Robert H Dott, Jr. and John W. Attig wrote, “Dolomite, like its cousin limestone, can be slowly dissolved by slightly acid water. Over time, such water moving through preexisting fractures in the dolomite widens the openings, forming caves.”

So to celebrate the Escarpment, we will replicate dolomite outcrops by the entrance to the learning center. To remind people that the Door Peninsula is riddled with caves, we are creating a mural in the hallway leading to restrooms. Though the planning for escarpment-related projects has been going on for some time, actual work began in October.

The front lawn of the Collins Learning Center is undergoing a makeover with design and installation by Meissenr Landscaping, Inc. They are creating a brick sidewalk leading from the parking lot to the front doors. This will greatly increase accessibility to the building. We are dedicated to offering programs, not only to learners of all ages, but also, to learners of all physical conditions.

The most prominent feature of landscape plan is an Outdoor Classroom/Gathering Place.
We anticipate that this crescent shaped grouping of rocks will be used for informal presentations, hike orientations, picnics and as a gathering place for Crossroads visitors.

The seating is large dolomite slabs, flat thanks to the sedimentary nature of the rocks. The design also includes a selection of glacial erratics–boulders which were plucked up by Ice Age glaciers and deposited in Door County when and where the ice melted.

We hope to have the hardcape elements complete before snowfall. Shrubs and native plants will be added next spring.

Inside, our muralist Patty Clark is starting to paint the “cave” mural, but her work began months ago as she starting working with cave consultant, Gary Soule. This fall, Patty and her husband Jay have visited and photographed several Door County caves so the rendering will be as realistic as possible.

Fortunately, neither project interferes with our educational programing. We’ve hosted dozens of school groups (the children have tried out the rock seats and approve) and an variety of adult education classes ranging from Wisconsin Naturalist Training to Learning in Retirement.

During Teacher Convention Weekend we will offer two Cross-Generational Classes and on Halloween Saturday starting 7:00 P.M., our guest speaker and stargazing instructor, Mike Lynch, will present a program on constellation mythology called “Myths of the Constellations” which, weather permitting will be followed by night sky viewing at our Astronomy Campus. Also at the Stonecipher Astronomy Center, the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society meets this on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM.

Crossroads at Big Creek is a donor-supported learning preserve celebrating the Year of the Escarpment with programs in science, history and the environment. Located at 2041 Michigan Street, just east of Sturgeon Bay, the Collins Learning Center is open 2:00-5:00 daily. The Astronomy Campus, which includes the Leif Everson Observatory, Stonecipher Astronomy Center and StarGarden can be reached from the Utah Street Entrance (turn left when you reach the Cove Road stop sign) The gate will be open during astronomy events. For information, call 746-5895.

Friday, October 29, 2:00
Cross-Generational Class on “Owls”
This program is offered so one adult and one youth (age 7-13) can learn together. Learn about owls through videos, games and activities. Participation and materials are free, but pre-registration is required. Call 746-5895 for more information or to register.

Saturday, October 30, 4:00
Cross-Generational Class “Monsters in the Sky”
This program is offered so one adult and one youth (age 7-13) can learn together. Wisconsin STARWATCH author Mike Lynch will present this interactive program on the mythology of constellations. A great introduction to the night sky. Participation and materials are free, but pre-registration is required. Stonecipher Astronomy Center. Call 746-5895 for more information or to register
.
7:00
Astronomy Program: “Myths of the Autumn Constellations”
The general public is invited to meet Mike Lynch and hear his stories about constellations before going outside to view the sky through “Big Daddy”–a very large telescope. The program will be offered whatever the weather.Free and open to the public. Stonecipher Astronomy Center. Please use the Utah Street Entrance to Crossroads.

Tuesday, November 2, 7:00
November Meeting of the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society with Lecture “Dark Matter and Dark Energy”
The public is encouraged to attend the monthly meeting of DPAS. A short meeting, announcements, viewing object or the month and a “quiz” precede the lecture, which will be presented by Ray Stonecipher. Stonecipher Astronomy Center. Please use Utah Street Entrance to Crossroads.

The Door County Land Trust established the Kellner Fen Nature Preserve in 2003 and with this recent addition has permanently preserved nearly 150 acres.

“The Kellner Fen is a very special, almost hidden place,” states Dan Burke, executive director of the Door County Land Trust.  “The Land Trust is thrilled to acquire the 40-acre parcel at the very center of it all.  The uniqueness of this area was once known and appreciated by only a small group of neighboring land owners.  Now, because of its rare ecological features, the fen is recognized by the broader conservation community as a place worthy of protection.”

The Kellner Fen features a large expanse of open water and an extensive, fragile sedge mat that floats on top of the underlying water. It is protected on the east by a sand dune nearly a mile long and is surrounded on other sides by dense forests.  The fen provides habitat for rare and unusual wetland species of insects, plants, and birds and is a breeding ground for the federally-endangered Hines Emerald Dragonfly.  The fen is home to a number of orchids such as the arethusa and carnivorous plants such as sundews and pitcher plants.  Sandhill Cranes are common visitors and nest on the edges of the lagoon.

Aside from its outstanding ecological attributes, the Kellner Fen also has a rich cultural history.  Kellner Fen was once home to a small cranberry operation on the northeastern portion of the lake.  A manmade drainage ditch and dam allowed flooding of the fields for harvest.  The fen was also home to a frog farm in the first part of the 20^th century, a time when frog legs were a popular item on restaurant menus.

Photos by Jeff Davis

The Kellner Fen is one of Door County’s embayment lakes.  Embayment lakes and wetland complexes are found along the east side of the Door Peninsula and Washington Island and were once part of Lake Michigan.  Water currents and shifting sands closed them off from the larger lake and created separate microcosms.  Clark Lake, Kangaroo Lake, Mud Lake and Europe Lake are just some of Door County’s embayment lakes.  Kellner Fen differs from the other embayment lakes as it has no natural outlet to Lake Michigan and is completely isolated by natural sand deposits and subsequent dune formation.

“The remoteness and the ecological diversity found at this wetland area put it high on our wish list of places to protect,” explains Jodi Milske, stewardship coordinator for the Door County Land Trust.  “Remote as it is, the fen has not escaped invasion by non-native plant species like glossy buckthorn and phragmites.  One of things we’ll be working hard on in the coming months and years is the eradication of these invasive species.”

Funds for this most recent 40-acre purchase were provided by a Coastal Wetlands grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Private donations from Land Trust supporters also helped make the purchase possible.

The Door County Land Trust is a local, non-profit organization supported by over 2,000 contributing members.  Its mission is to preserve, maintain and enhance lands that contribute significantly to the scenic beauty, open space and ecological integrity of Door County.  Since its inception in 1986, the Land Trust has protected over 5,300 acres throughout Door County.  Many of the lands owned by the Door County Land Trust are open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, skiing and other low-impact recreational and educational activities. To find out more about the work of the Door County Land Trust, for preserve maps and directions, for information on their hunting program and to make a contribution of support, please visit www.doorcountylandtrust.org.