Door County Land Trust
Restoring Forest Habitat
Oak Bluff Natural Area: Land Protection by the Bay
Door County Land Trust’s portfolio of protected properties includes a variety of ecologically sensitive lands protected for the plant and animal inhabitants. The latest land protection project, completed on December 6, 2023, is a perfect example of why some lands are best protected for wildlife. When it comes to the Land Trust’s recent creation…
Read MoreSouthern Door Ecological Gem to Become 15th Land Trust Preserve
An exceptionally scenic and ecologically significant 75 acres in the Town of Clay Banks has recently been added to Door County Land Trust’s roster of protected properties. The former dairy farm features a half-mile of Bear Creek that flows into Lake Michigan that supports coldwater fish. Within its eye-catching landscape of open fields, wetlands, native…
Read MoreKellner Fen Natural Area Addition Expands Land Protection
Sand Hill Cranes are one of many species that will be protected on the new acreage. The success of Door County Land Trust’s (DCLT) most recent land purchase is the direct result of the generosity of the Fischer family. The new addition of 63 acres extends the protection of water quality and wildlife surrounding the…
Read MoreNow Streaming: Water Protection
Below the still surface of Door County’s landscape, under and through the bedrock, water moves rapidly—a mixture of rainwater, snow melt, and dissolved particles collected from life above. In many areas, both nutrients and pollutants find their way quickly into the county’s waterways—as well as Lake Michigan and Green Bay—at a rate that can overwhelm…
Read MoreNew Preserve to Deliver Drama
It’s hard for the Door County Land Trust Land Team to temper their excitement when describing the property slated for the Land Trust’s fifteenth nature preserve. “It’s spectacular,” said Land Program Director Jesse Koyen. “Over a half mile of Bear Creek and its surrounding forested banks make up the heart of the property. There are…
Read MoreLand Trust Awarded Grant to Protect Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitat
Door County Land Trust (DCLT) was awarded a Midwest Coastal Grant from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) in the amount of $196,736 to conduct invasive species control at Kellner Fen Natural Area, just north of Sturgeon Bay. The control of these plants directly relates to protecting the Hine’s emerald dragonfly (HED) (Somatochlora…
Read MoreThe Big Plant: Native Tree and Plant Give-Away 2023
Native Plant and Tree Give-Away Aims to Improve Wildlife Habitat Throughout Door County Upcoming tree and plant giveaway events: 2023 Dates to be announced *** How to Plant Trees and Perennials: How to plant The native tree and plant give-away is a part of The Big Plant coordinated by the Climate Change Coalition of Door…
Read MoreReserve your copy of Shoreline at the Edge: Door County’s Lakeside Forests and Wetlands!
The above photo of Kangaroo Lake is one of twenty aerialscapes photographed from an airplane by Paul M. Lurie featured in the new book, “A Shoreline at the Edge: Door County’s Lakeside Forests and Wetlands.” Through a generous donation from Paul Lurie, Door County Land Trust is making the book available for free to the…
Read MoreHigh-quality forest and wetland habitat protected on Washington Island
Door County’s Newest Conservation Project: High-quality forest and wetland habitat protected on Washington Island Washington Island, WI – Door County Land Trust is excited to announce the protection of 20 acres on Washington Island as part of the Big and Little Marsh State Natural Area. This property is home to a northern hardwood forest with…
Read MoreHigh-Quality Forests Protected for Wildlife and Migratory Bird Habitat on Chambers Island
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce the permanent protection of significant high-quality forests on Chambers Island. Two parcels totaling 60 acres are now protected, and a third parcel of about 20 acres will be protected before the year’s end. The forest lands consist of a mix of sugar maple,…
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Join the Work Crew;
Oak Road Nature Preserve
Itching to get your hands dirty and really connect with the land? Discover the rewarding feel of restoration work in the field! Join the upcoming work party and help with invasive species removal, trail maintenance, and overall land stewardship. The day will include exploring Oak Road Nature Preserve through the lens of land stewardship and…
Read MoreAnnouncing Pebble Beach
Door County Land Trust and Village of Sister Bay Announce Partnership to Protect Pebble Beach Sister Bay, WI – The Door County Land Trust and the Village of Sister Bay are pleased to announce a partnership to protect 600 feet of shoreline and 17 acres of land as a publicly accessible recreation and natural…
Read MoreNew Land Conservation Protects Headwaters and Springs within Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp
Ephraim, WI – The Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce a newly protected property containing wetlands, springs and streams within the Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp State Natural Area. The 80-acre property is the second property in the area to be protected this year, and brings the total protection of these headwaters and springs to 277…
Read More9 Acres Donated at Chambers Island Nature Preserve
Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce the donation of 9 acres of land at the Chambers Island Nature Preserve. The donation of land, made by Pete and Fawn Rogers, long-time summer visitors on the island, is the fifth conservation project to be completed on Chambers Island during 2018. The donated land connects other…
Read MoreDoor County Land Trust Expands Chambers Island Nature Preserve With 35 Newly Protected Acres
The Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce that 35 acres of forested uplands have been acquired as an addition to the Door County Land Trust’s 600-acre Chambers Island Nature Preserve. With the October protection of two islands within Lake Mackaysee, this acquisition is the second of five new land deals to be completed on…
Read MorePitcher’s Dune Thistle at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal
Watch Chicago Botanic Garden Researchers Speak about Pitcher’s Dune Thistle at the Door County Land Trust 2018 Annual Gathering:
Read MoreVolunteer Work Day at Oak Road Nature Preserve
Tuesday, September 25 9:00am – 12:00 pm 6391 Oak Road Join the Door County Land Trust for a morning of work at Oak Road Nature Preserve. We will be enhancing restoration efforts by continuing the control of non-native honeysuckle and autumn olive. Please meet at the Oak Road Nature Preserve parking area located at 6391…
Read MoreShake Off Winter and Experience Door County With Us!
I’ve decided to stop asking myself if the snow will end. Instead, I am embracing this mid-April snowstorm. In fact, based on the Bay Shore Blufflands restoration project, I should be celebrating this cold spring for giving us more time to treat the invasive buckthorn. But, as you’ll soon read, spring will come and our upcoming hikes provide…
Read MoreBay Shore Blufflands Buckthorn Blast
We are pleased to announce the completion of the first round of invasive shrub removal in the Bay Shore Blufflands Buckthorn Blast! The project is a community conservation effort designed to enhance the nature preserve and encourage the neighborhood and greater community to participate in the effort. Jason Wilke, of Nature Care Ecological Consulting and…
Read MoreHabitat Restoration Planned for Grand View Scenic Overlook
When the opportunity to protect the Grand View Scenic Overlook arose, the community stepped forward to complete the seemingly impossible task of raising the funds for such prime real-estate. Within the protected view, lay two small ponds and surrounding lands in need of special care. Recently, the Door County Land Trust implemented two initial landscape…
Read MoreGrants Received for Restoration Project at Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve
Door County Land Trust and Bay Shore Property Owners Association continue to battle invasive plants with a new multi-year community conservation project to eradicate non-native common and glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.) and exotic honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) at the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve. The project, known as the Bay Shore Blufflands Buckthorn Blast, began last…
Read MoreNewly Protected! 17 Acres Adjacent to Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve
Conservation Easements Protect Homes for The Wildest Things Short-tailed weasel at Aten-Collins Conservation Easement. Photo by Nancy Aten Visionary landowners Nancy Aten and Dan Collins completed the donation of a 17-acre conservation easement to the Door County Land Trust this fall. The property, located near the 274-acre Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve, adds to a…
Read MoreLandings – News Splash! Read the Winter Newsletter Online
The 2017 Winter Newsletter has arrived! This season we’re saving on paper and providing more content on our website. Click below to view the newsletter online. Click the links to see related webpages, photos or additional content.
Read MoreMapping Guides 2018 Restoration Work
This four-person crew spent part of their summer mapping invasive species in preparation for a restoration project to begin in 2018. Door County Land Trust’s Three Springs Nature Preserve is one of several sites prioritized in this partner project to map, monitor and reduce invasive species within Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula Coastal Wetlands Ramsar site, an…
Read MoreRestoring Balance to an Interconnected Ecosystem
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve ridge and swale wetland. Photo by Jason Wilke, restoration and invasive species removal contractor 399 acres at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve and 50 acres at Heins Creek Nature Preserve are being restored, thanks to funding from the North American Wetland Conservation Act Grant. The project,…
Read MoreJoin us at the Bay Shore Blufflands Buckthorn Blast Kick-off Event!
You are invited to join us for a community gathering to kick-off the Bay Shore Blufflands Buckthorn Blast project September 1, 9:30-11:30 a.m.! Learn about the invasive species and unique ecology of the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve. Take a hike with staff experts and meet stewardship volunteers committed to the Buckthorn Blast. Sign up…
Read More120 Acres of Coastal Wetland Property Protected!
Door County Land Trust Protects Wetlands at the Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp State Natural Area Sturgeon Bay, WI July 15, 2017 – The Door County Land Trust (DCLT) is pleased to announce it has protected 120 acres of coastal wetland property in the Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp State Natural Area. The property was acquired from landowner John Wehling,…
Read MoreStudents with Shovels: A Tree Planting Story
In pre-settlement times, Door County was covered shore to shore in dense forests. Our native plant communities and wildlife habitat depend on quality contiguous forests. Last week, at Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve, students from Sturgeon Bay High School worked alongside staff and volunteers to plant more than 2,500 trees, including white pine, white cedar, chokecherry,…
Read MorePlant Surveys, Species Inventories, Bird Counts and more!
The Door County Land Trust relies on volunteers to gather vital pieces of information in the field. Projects include spring bird counts, identifying invasive plants and more. The information gathered through these projects helps to show the value of land protection and restoration efforts. To volunteer for citizen monitoring projects, please contact [email protected].
Read MoreHelp Us Plant Trees at Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve
Thursday, April 27, 2017 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve 6749 County G, South of Egg Harbor Join us for an afternoon of tree planting to celebrate Earth Week! We are continuing our efforts to plant native seedlings at our Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve. Please meet just north of the preserve parking…
Read MoreVolunteer Opportunity – Three Springs Nature Preserve
Join the Door County Land Trust for a morning of work at Three Springs Nature Preserve to control non-native scotch pine. Scotch pine is a coniferous tree in the pine family (Pinaceae) that strives in old fields and open forested areas like at Three Springs. We have worked here in the past to control scotch…
Read MoreNative Tree Planting Creates a Resilient Landscape
In April 2016, the Door County Land Trust’s volunteer group, the “Stew Crew,” planted more than 1000 native tree and shrub species after controlling non-native honeysuckle at Lautenbach Woods. The Stew Crew continued their efforts at Three Springs and planted 800 native tree and shrub species after controlling non-native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The tree…
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