Registration Now Open for Door County Festival of Nature

The Door County Festival of Nature features over 50 field trips to natural areas throughout the county, including Kellner Fen near Sturgeon Bay.

The Ridges Sanctuary recently announced that they are now accepting registrations for the seventh annual Door County Festival of Nature, May 21 – 23.

The Festival of Nature is a three-day program of guided field trips and presentations, highlighting the incredible natural beauty and diversity of Door County. Over 50 field trips are offered this year, including The Ridges Sanctuary, Toft Point, Kreuter Preserve, the Mink River Conservancy, and many other natural areas. Some of these properties are privately owned, and generally not open to the public. Field trips focus on wildflowers, birds, geology, insects and other topics, and are led by professional staff of local and state conservation organizations, as well as trained volunteers. Also included on the schedule are canoeing trips, and an all-day trip to explore State Natural Areas on Washington Island.

The Festival of Nature kicks off with a keynote program, “Everyone Lives Downstream from Someone Else,” on Thursday, May 21, at 7:30 pm. On Friday, May 22, at 7 pm, the Wisconsin Wetlands Association will “Celebrate Wisconsin’s Wetland Gems!” in a special presentation highlighting some of the critically important wetland areas in northeast Wisconsin. Both of these programs are open to the public and will be held at the Baileys Harbor Town Hall. Also on Friday night, Crossroads at Big Creek will offer night sky viewing at the Leif Everson Observatory. This program will begin at 9 pm.

The Festival of Nature will conclude with an old-fashioned Barn Dance on Saturday, May 22 at the Baileys Harbor Town Hall. Live music will be provided by the Sugar on the Floor Barn Dance Orchestra, and refreshments will be served. The dance is open to the public, and will begin at 6:30 pm.

The Festival of Nature is a cooperative effort of six local conservation organizations: The Ridges Sanctuary, Door County Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, The Clearing, and Crossroads at Big Creek. Sponsors of this year’s event include: Door Property Owners, Inc., Birdies of Door County, Baileys Harbor Yacht Club Resort, and Baylake Bank.

Due to the delicate nature of Festival sites, attendance on field trips is limited, and pre-registration for field trips is required. Online registration is available at http://www.RidgesSanctuary.org/festival.aspx. To receive a registration brochure by mail, please email [email protected], or call The Ridges Sanctuary at 920.839.2802.