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Category: Nature

  • Newport and Rock Island State Parks Receive Gold Seal Awards

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    The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks (FWSP) have announced the winners of the 2017 Gold Seal Awards. Wisconsin residents cast their votes for various categories. Michelle Hefty, park manager for both Newport and Rock Island State Parks, has announced that both parks will receive Gold Seal awards at the FWSP banquet on Nov. 5 in […]

  • Volunteers Needed at Crossroads at Big Creek on Oct. 29

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    On Oct. 29, 9 – 11 am, volunteers are needed at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay to replant seedlings, flowers and sow wildflower seeds. Volunteers are also needed inside to organize library, kitchen areas and supplies. Wear sturdy shoes, gloves and dress for the weather. They’ll be working rain or shine. Water and […]

  • Girl Scouts Grow a Pizza Garden

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    Bet you didn’t know there was pizza growing at the Ridges Sanctuary this summer – six big slices, to be exact. One of the ideas that came out of the Design Team Project in Baileys Harbor last November was building relationships through a community garden. Lori and Michael Kemmler volunteered to work on the idea. […]

  • Bear Season is Over

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      Preliminary registration numbers indicate a strong 2016 bear hunt, with 4,643 bears registered. “This was another successful season for Wisconsin bear hunters. The preliminary harvest of 4,643 is very close to the 2016 quota of 4,750,” said David MacFarland, DNR large carnivore specialist. “Wisconsin continues to have a healthy bear population, which provides more […]

  • Commentary: Gaylord, Aldo and John

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    Wisconsin has long been known for its quality exports, from beverages to bathroom tissues, from mozzarella to motorcycles. But it’s been said that the best things in life aren’t things. The Badger State’s most valuable commodities aren’t things at all. They are the lesser known exports that have to do with knowledge and wisdom, particularly […]

  • Why Leaves Change Color

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    The Fall Color Report compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism estimated that the fall colors in Door County would peak this week. While most of northern Wisconsin is past its peak and southern counties are just beginning to turn, we looked at what makes the leaves change color and why we have had a […]

  • Science Snippet: Bumblebees’ Pollen Baskets

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      Bumblebees (genus Bombus) carry their shopping baskets on their hind legs. These “pollen baskets” are made up of specialized hairs that quickly sweep pollen from flowers into a mass attached to the leg. The mass continues to grow as the bee moves from one flower to another, where it cozies up to the pollen-bearing […]

  • Old-Time Techniques: Group to Build Using Only Primitive Tools

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    Last week, in the otherwise quiet woods on Beach Road north of Sister Bay, you could hear the occasional thunk of an axe striking wood. If you slowed down, you might have seen a group of 25 men hauling smooth-skinned logs through the trees using nothing but rusty clamps with wooden grips. “It makes it […]

  • Roy & Charlotte Lukes: The Forest of Lilliput

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    When is the last time you were in the forest of Lilliput? Charlotte and I could very well have been there several days ago at Whitefish Dunes State Park. The beauty of the small plants such as the fungi, mosses and ground pines brought us first to our knees and finally to our bellies. It […]

  • Weather Wizard: The Life Worth Living

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    A foggy morning gave way to a bright blue afternoon, and wet golden leaves began to dry and curl in the sun. These fall days almost require a walk in the woods, and as I drove past pumpkin patches and yellowed soybean fields, I looked forward to the solitude of a quiet autumn walk. Arriving […]

  • Ridges Naturalist to Lead Logan Creek Guided Hike

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    Join a Ridges naturalist on Oct. 16 at 2 pm for a guided hike through the beautiful and colorful fall landscape of Logan Creek. Owned and managed by The Ridges, the Logan Creek property is comprised of a variety of habitats, including upland hardwood forest, lowland cedar-hemlock forest and frontage along both Clark Lake and […]

  • Take A Hike with Land Trust’s New Executive Director Tom Clay

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    The Door County Land Trust has announced a recent 10-acre addition at the Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve. The acquisition protects a key parcel, extending the contiguous forest cover needed to sustain this unique and fragile ecosystem along the Niagara Escarpment. The land trust encourages you to take a hike and enjoy the forest and autumn […]

  • Grant Will Restore Door County Wetlands

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    The Nature Conservancy was awarded a $186,200 grant from the Sustain Our Great Lakes program to hire a four-person seasonal crew for two years to control invasive species and restore and enhance coastal wetlands within the Door Peninsula Coastal Wetlands Ramsar Site, a 11,443-acre wetland complex designated as a Wetland of International Importance by the […]

  • Fall Color Hikes Offered at Crossroads in October

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    It’s color season at Crossroads at Big Creek. Join a naturalist-led program or explore one of the three Crossroads colorful properties on your own; trails are always open. Admission is free. On Oct. 7 at 1 pm, learners of all ages are invited to join the naturalist at Crossroads for “Leaves and Light.” Learn about […]

  • It’s ‘All About Pollinators’ at The Ridges with Beekeeping Workshop

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    It’s “All About Pollinators!” at The Ridges in Baileys Harbor, with a number of programs scheduled for Oct. 7 & 8. “Intro to Beekeeping” will be held Oct. 7, 6-9 pm. With the help of expert beekeeper Marge Trocki, learn the basics of bee biology and have a chance to examine the inner workings of […]

  • Pumpkin Patch, Iron Pour & More Weekend Plans

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    Take in the sights, sounds and tastes of autumn during one of the busiest weekends on the Door Peninsula! From Apple Fest to Pumpkin Patch, we’ve got you covered for a memorable, fun-filled weekend in the county. Friday, October 7 Reiki & Readings Explore the world of energy work with JenMarie Stevens, a medical intuitive, […]

  • Restoring Dunes Lake: Pilot Project Proves this Hidden Gem Desperately Needs Help

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    All the way down the twisting Geisel Creek, a heavy machine droned incessantly through the cedar and aspen forest – sometimes amplified and sometimes muffled by that forest as our kayaks headed toward the source of the sound, a hydraulic dredging machine that for the last three weeks has been clearing out a two-acre section […]

  • Eye on the Night Sky: Preserving Door County’s Night Sky

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    By John J. Beck, Door Peninsula Astronomical Society On Sept. 20, 2016 the Door County Astronomical Society joined with the Door County Environmental Council to host Kevin Poe, “Dark Ranger,” to speak to 90 people at the John and Helen Collins Learning Center at the Crossroads at Big Creek on the topic of Preserving Our […]

  • Plant Identification Walk on Oct. 1

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      The Door County Chapter of Wild Ones invites the community to a plant identification walk on Oct. 1 at 9:30 am along Landing Road at Potawatomi State Park. Meet at the boat landing parking lot. State park vehicle admission sticker is required. The site features a wide variety of shrubs, trees, forbs and fall […]

  • Learn the Stories Behind the Stars from Astronomer/Storyteller Robert Mathieu

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    Andromeda. Perseus. Cassiopeia. The stars that form the constellations of the autumn sky are as much a part of a Door County fall as are the changing colors of the leaves and the southern migration of the geese. Hear their legends and learn about their constellations with award-winning astronomer and enthusiastic storyteller Robert Mathieu. The […]