Category: Nature
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Improve Your Green Thumb with Plant Health Advisers
A new resource is being offered by Door County UW-Extension for home gardeners. Plant Health Advisers begins June 7, with Master Gardener volunteers on hand from 10-11 am at the Extension office to answer questions – from weed and insect identification to plant disease diagnosis to planting recommendations for Door County. “People can call in, […]
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State wildlife officials remind outdoor enthusiasts the best way to enjoy Wisconsin’s whitetail fawns being born now through early July is from afar because their mother is nearby even though you don’t see her. Dianne Robinson, Department of Natural Resources wildlife expert who chairs the Keep Wildlife Wild program, says spring is when well-meaning people […]
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Presentation on The Ridges Upper Range Light
The rich history of the iconic Baileys Harbor Range Lights is closely intertwined with that of the Ridges Sanctuary. This summer The Ridges has embarked on a project to restore the Upper Range Light and its two outbuildings, the Oil House and Privy. Work is already underway with completion anticipated sometime in 2018. On June […]
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Water Research Begins at Crossroads at Big Creek
This week the Collins Learning Center at Crossroads at Big Creek undergoes its annual metamorphosis, changing from an educational center to a research facility. For more than a decade, Crossroads has hosted researchers from Environmental Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) at UW-Oshkosh, who, using a strict protocol, have been collecting water samples throughout each summer […]
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Garage Sales, Galas and More Weekend Plans
June is arriving, and with it are great and unique ways to get active in the community. Take advantage of free park access, some hands-on art fun and local football. Friday, June 3 Open House Get hands on at Clay on Steele’s open house. Activities will include Raku firing, wheel throwing demos, and ceramic painting […]
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Going Native: Enjoy Bluebells Next Spring
By Peter Sigmann Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia) are native to all of eastern North America, but they especially like Door County. They are rare in the protected areas and woods but more common along roadsides, possibly as escapees from gardens. Bluebells are typical “spring ephemerals” that leaf out and bloom in early spring, set seed and […]
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Science Snippet: Snakes Strike At Super-Speed
The latest study dealing with how fast venomous and non-venomous snakes can strike shows that they do so at super-speed. A mature rattlesnake may strike its prey at speeds up to 9 feet per second. At the average striking distance of up to six inches, the bite of a rattlesnake is over in 70 milliseconds. […]
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Join Live Chat on Native Plants
The promise of receding frost has spread the urge to plant throughout Wisconsin, and a May 31 online chat will help gardeners of all skill levels incorporate native plants into landscaping projects. This live chat will run from noon to 1 pm. Department of Natural Resources staff will be on hand to answer questions ranging […]
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June Programs at The Ridges Sanctuary
Summer is finally here and if you’re looking for opportunities to connect with nature, check out the June schedule at The Ridges. Guided Sanctuary hikes depart from the Ridges Nature Center in Baileys Harbor daily at 10 am & 2 pm beginning June 1. These relaxing 90-minute walks on the trails are led by seasoned […]
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Run, Recite And Remember This Memorial Day Weekend
This busy weekend offers opportunities to explore and learn about the artists, history, and natural beauty that make Door County unique. Friday, May 27 Poetry Slam The 6th grade students at Gibraltar Schools have put together an afternoon of poetry and friendly competition. Matt Burress will perform live music for the event. Admission is five […]
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Weekend Weather Wizard: Early Taste of Summer
I’d only been walking in the woods for a few minutes, when I noticed something was missing…my wife Mary. I glanced over my shoulder and felt slightly antsy, thinking that she had forgotten something in the car. “Release the hounds!” I thought, referring to our Brittany named Ruby who was in tow. However, knowing […]
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Explore the Niagara Escarpment in Canada with Door County Land Trust
In celebration of 30 years of protecting Door County’s exceptional lands and waters, the Door County Land Trust will host a seven-day natural history tour to experience the similarities and differences between the Bruce Peninsula and Door County environs. The tour is scheduled to take place Sept. 18 – 25. Door County is positioned on […]
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USDA Releases Honey Bee Loss Report
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released the results of its first ever Honey Bee Colony Loss survey. The survey queried more than 20,000 honey beekeepers about the number of colonies, colonies lost, colonies added and colonies affected by certain stressors and gleans state-level estimates on key honey bee health topics. […]
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Free Clearing Hikes Cover History & Landscape of School
The Clearing Folk School will once again offer free, docent-led hikes covering the 81-year history, folklore and landscape of the school and its 128-acre property. These interpretive hiking tours will visit the historic buildings and campus, which are on the National and State Historic Registers, led by volunteer docents. The approximate two-hour hikes begin at […]
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Naturalist-Led Hikes Offered at Crossroads at Big Creek
Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay will host a couple of upcoming naturalist-led hikes. On May 21 at 10:30 am, go in search of spring wildflowers. The Crossroads Preserve is always interesting, but in spring it is particularly lovely as tiny flowers dapple the sides of the trails. Hikers should meet at the Collins […]
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Rockabilly, Young Eagles Rally & More Weekend Plans
This weekend offers the chance to get on the water, in the sky and on the dance floor in Door County! Check out our top picks for the weekend ahead. Friday, May 20 Death’s Door Tours Learn about the history of the islands, lighthouses, and shipwrecks that are scattered across Death’s Door. The tour departs […]
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Land is a family affair. Farmers are known for their relentless practice to keep their soil fertile, so that it will be more fertile than when they left it for their children to till. But land stewardship does not end at those who turn a profit from the land they keep. Don and Donna Koepsel […]
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With our forests spangled with trillium, and parks and woodlands vibrant with spring wildflowers, May is a special time in Door County. But it’s mystifying, too, because often, when we drive between two apparently identical mature woodlands, we notice that one is teeming with beautiful flowers while the other has none. Why don’t wildflowers spread […]
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By the Numbers: International Migratory Bird Day
In honor of International Migratory Bird Day on May 16, here are eleven ways to conserve birds. Window collisions are a frequent cause of bird deaths. They don’t see glass, so make them more visible with stickers. Keep your cat indoors. Leave fledglings where you find them. Young chicks that leave […]
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Rosata the Robin Sets Up Nest at A Peninsula Park-View
Submitted by Carole and Ron Vande Walle of A Peninsula Park-View Resort Three recent check-ins at A Peninsula Park-View Resort have set up a maternity ward of sorts while the cleaning and decorating of the rooms, suites and cottages is completed. A longtime repeat guest, Rosata Tizapa (named by six-year-old Sebastian) is a robin […]