Mary Vandyke, Author at Door County Land Trust

Native Plant and Tree Give-Away Aims to Improve Wildlife Habitat Throughout Door County Sturgeon Bay, WI – Door County Land Trust will give away 1,000 native tree and plant seedlings over the next month. The trees and plants are free and will be available at scheduled locations from Sister Bay to Southern Door over the…

Appreciating Spring By Dale Goodner, hike leader, volunteer, and curious citizen To the avid hiker, ecologist, or wood thrush, there is much more to a forest than just trees. From the very top of the canopy, to the secret recesses of soil, countless life forms occupy and embody the fundamental fabric of the forest.…

A Win for Water Quality: Wetlands Protected at Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp Ephraim, WI – Door County Land Trust is thrilled to announce the protection of two additional forested properties within the Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp State Natural Area. With these additions totaling 75 acres, Door County Land Trust now protects 383 acres within the swamp, which is…

A Holiday Nature Celebration The Twelve Hikes of Christmas is our holiday celebration, encouraging you to get outside and see what your favorite nature preserves have to show you this season. For the twelve days leading up to Christmas we will share a new winter wildlife photo and coloring book page for free download. Enjoy…

A Watershed Moment for Washington Island’s Coffey Swamp Washington Island, WI – Door County Land Trust is thrilled to announce the protection of a forested property on Washington Island as part of the Coffey Swamp State Natural Area. This property is home to a high quality wet northern forest largely covered with mature white cedar…

Land at Heart of Kellner Fen Donated into Permanent Conservation Sturgeon Bay, WI – Door County Land Trust is excited to announce the recent acquisition and protection of a 40-acre property at the center of the Kellner Fen wetland complex located north of Sturgeon Bay near Lake Michigan. The property was donated by Jim…

Anonymous Donor Inspires Giving for Land Protection at Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp Ephraim, WI – An anonymous couple is inspiring others to give to the Door County Land Trust’s ongoing land protection efforts at Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp Natural Area. The couple have a love of the Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp and have been long-time supporters of the efforts to protect…

The Perfect Cozy Conservation Gift. Give the perfect gift this Christmas! Place a bid for a gift basket featuring a hand-crocheted afghan donated by member Maureen McGrath, a copy of the ‘Guide to the Places We Protect’, and candied nuts homemade by Land Trust president Donna DeNardo. Each gift comes with a gift membership for the…

Read our 2020-2021 Winter Landings News Splash! Landings News Splash: Stories About the Places YOU help protect!

Read our 2020 Fall Landings News Splash! Landings News Splash: Stories About the Places YOU help protect!

Door County Land Trust and The Ridges Sanctuary Conclude Merger Discussions The Ridges Sanctuary and Door County Land Trust decided to conclude their exploratory discussions for a possible merger. While the organizations determined now is not the right time to combine, they are committed to continue working together in various ways. Both organizations developed a…

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…

Door County Land Trust and The Ridges Sanctuary Begin Partnership Discussions The Door County Land Trust and The Ridges Sanctuary are pleased to announce they have entered into discussions surrounding the combination of the two organizations into one operating entity. The combined organization would build on the strengths of both groups to become a stronger community…

Door County’s Newest Conservation Project: 20 Acres Protected at Washington Island’s Big and Little Marsh Washington Island, WI – Door County Land Trust completed the acquisition and protection of 20 acres of remnant boreal forest on Washington Island adjoining the Big and Little Marsh State Natural Area which is known for its rare and imperiled…

A New Conservation Easement Protects Forest in Baileys Harbor Baileys Harbor, WI – Door County Land Trust is thrilled to announce the protection of 40 acres in Baileys Harbor with a perpetual conservation easement agreement. Landowners Tom and Cynthia Wolfe protect the property from future development and add to protected lands within a nearby important…

Test Your Native Plant Knowledge Sure, pollinating insects and animals are pretty cool and buzz-worthy. But what about their preferred plants? Put your native plant ID knowledge to the test with our pollinator quiz… Want to study up? Learn about the native plants and pollinator garden at Bayshore Blufflands Nature Preserve here >>

An oasis for butterflies, birds, bees, and other pollinators The three-year community conservation effort to battle buckthorn and other invasive shrubs at the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve has begun a new chapter as Door County Land Trust installed a new planting of native species this past summer. The lower trailhead now is home to…

Wisconsin Land Trust Days Highlighted on Discover Wisconsin Watch now! On June 13th at 6:30pm CST, Discover Wisconsin airs the Wisconsin Land Trust Days episode on television stations across the Midwest. Tune in to watch wild mushroom expert Charlotte Lukes share her passion for conservation and fungi during the Fungus Among Us hike at Kangaroo Lake…

Donate $20 or more to receive your Nature Notes Calendar! Stunning monthly images and stories 19 months! June 2020-December 2021 Bloom times and locations Bird migration and nesting seasons Insect, fish, amphibian, and mammal life cycles Moon phases and meteor showers Dates of historical significance Sun rise and set times Quotes from remarkable conservation legends…

We are thrilled to see new and familiar faces walking the trails and enjoying the outdoors. Thank you to everyone who is taking time to love the land! ⁣ Here are a few reminders, so the nature preserves you love can stay open, healthy, and protected.

From colorful wildflowers blooming across the peninsula to the calming roll of Lake Michigan waves on the shore, Door County has shed its winter coat and is buzzing with new life and summertime sunshine. Normally, this is the time for exploring preserve trails through a guided hike, gathering together at events, or celebrating community…

Join us in celebrating the rhythm of the days and seasons by sharing photos, observations, and reflections from nature. Just as spring pushes forward, so too does our community-focused conservation work. We invite you to reach out to us and stay connected. Share your thoughts and pictures below. After review, we’ll post them on this page…

Door County Ecology at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve. Learn how to spot signs of a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker! – Mary and Dale Goodner

Door County Ecology at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve. Learn the difference between Red Pine and White Pine! – Mary and Dale Goodner

“We are very privileged to have this outdoor space to safely go to,” says photographer Miora Rajaonary. “It is more than a playground. It has become our sanctuary, an invitation for us to look closer and longer and contemplate.” Video from Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, by Jim Perry.

Signs of Spring at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, hazelnut flowers in bloom! – Mary and Dale Goodner

Watch the Longnose Suckers at Heins Creek Nature Preserve, monitoring and video by Joe Taylor.

Wanted to share some photos of my walk at Ephraim Nature Preserve at Anderson Pond! – Amy Watts Dwyer

Signs of Spring at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, club moss! – Mary and Dale Goodner

Enjoy the beautiful sunrise from Legacy Nature Preserve at Clay Banks – Jim Perry

Signs of Spring at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, wood frogs mating! – Mary and Dale Goodner

Signs of Spring at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, Balsam Poplar! – Mary and Dale Goodner

Signs of Spring at Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, Skunk Cabbage! – Mary and Dale Goodner

Tom Clay and I spent a beautiful “signs of spring” morning at Three Springs Nature Preserve. This is a perfect time to visit, there are so many spring activities taking place, from birds migrating overhead, to northern pike in Three Springs Pond visible from deck if you are lucky (I was). We saw lots of …

“Snowy owls don’t know about coronavirus, fortunately — they only know that the days are lengthening toward spring, and the tug of the Arctic is getting stronger and stronger. Some have already started migrating back north, and may soon be out of cell range for the summer. It’s a welcome reminder that, however dark and…

Surge of Support to Protect Pebble Beach Sister Bay, WI – Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce a remarkable gift from angel donors Mary and Bob Wiley of Sister Bay, to protect Pebble Beach. Door County Land Trust and the Village of Sister Bay are partnering to protect 600 feet of shoreline and…

Gathering Waters, Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts is excited to honor as part of the Land Conservation Leadership Awards Chambers Island Nature Preserve Executive Committee as Conservationists of the Year Conservationist of the Year – Chambers Island Nature Preserve Executive Committee is made up of a team of four women who own property on Door County’s…

Read our 2019 Spring Landings News Splash!

Door Peninsula Coastal Wetlands BioBlitz June 18- 21, 2019 We’re doing an ecological inventory of our natural wetlands treasures—and we need your help. Become a citizen scientist for a day! It’s called a BioBlitz—a community science activity for people of all ages and experience. Discover and document the variety of species found at the Three Springs…

Door County Land Trust