Chambers Island Nature Preserve Grows
with a Key Addition Near Marina

Chambers Island aerial, by Dan Eggert

Chambers Island Nature Preserve Grows

with a Key Addition Near Marina

Chambers Island, WI – Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce the addition of a newly protected parcel at the Chambers Island Nature Preserve. The new property contains a mature upland forest with red oak and butternut, and an open meadow. This is also the first parcel Door County Land Trust has protected on Chambers Island that contains shoreline on Green Bay. The addition of this protected parcel is an exciting step toward preserving biodiversity and completing the Chambers Island Nature Preserve, which now totals over 800 acres.

Door County Land Trust began a partnership with the Chambers Island community in fall of 2014, to preserve the interior forests and wetlands of the island. A group of islanders rallied fellow landowners around the vision to create the nature preserve and raised the private funds necessary for both the initial protection and long-term care of the property.

“Door County Land Trust applauds Chambers Island landowners for their desire to conserve and protect significant portions of this rare upper Great Lakes island ecosystem. The Land Trust would not have been able to create the Chambers Island Nature Preserve without their generosity and passion for land conservation,” shares Door County Land Trust Executive Director Tom Clay.

The Chambers Island Nature Preserve is the largest Door County Land Trust nature preserve. The forest represents important habitat for native invertebrates and plants. Thirty-six butterfly species have been recorded on Chambers Island so far, including the threatened Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesi). Chambers Island is also home to large numbers of rhinoceros beetles, designated as “Special Concern” by the Wisconsin DNR. To-date there have been over 350 documented plant species on the island.

The newly protected property was formerly known as the “prayer maze” when owned by the Green Bay Catholic Diocese Holy Name Retreat Center. Its proximity to the marina means it could be home to a future kiosk and educational signage. In 2018 it was home to the Chambers Island BioBlitz which was a research filled week with citizen scientists and experts exploring the area.

The newly protected property is nearby to other Land Trust protected lands on Chambers Island. Chambers Island, located about seven miles off the coast of Fish Creek, offers a much-needed rest stop to migratory birds, and is also home to quality forest and meadow habitats. The large forest area holds an impressive diversity of tree species, including hemlock (including older second-growth forests), beech, sugar maple, red & white pine, birch, oak, cedar, basswood, and others.

Land protection projects like this require strong, local land conservation organizations like Door County Land Trust. In partnership with the community, Door County Land Trust assists in protecting the most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes on the Door Peninsula and islands. Door County Land Trust seeks support from the community to enable future land protection projects that benefit both the people and wildlife of the peninsula. To donate and support the conservation work of the Door County Land Trust or learn more about our work please visit www.DoorCountyLandTrust.org/Vision.

Click here for a printable PDF of this press release >>