23rd Annual Door County Festival of Nature Returns Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-25
Baileys Harbor, Wis. (March 10, 2025) – The Ridges Sanctuary and its community partners are hosting the 23rd Annual Door County Festival of Nature, Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25, 2025. The Festivaloffers participants over 70 exciting opportunities to reconnect with the natural world through creating, listening, and grounding themselves in the world around them. From field trips and lectures to art exhibitions and special events, participants have many ways to connect with the Door Peninsula’s natural beauty.
Festival offerings feature field trip experiences, including guided hikes, nature art, grounding exercises, kayaking, coastal tours, birding, geology, and more! Field trips take place throughout the county, including at the Sanctuary and other Ridges properties. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to learn about restoration projects and citizen science efforts through field trip offerings.
Partnering with The Ridges Sanctuary are the following organizations: Crossroads at Big Creek, Door County Land Trust, Horseshoe Bay Farms, The Nature Conservancy, Bjorklunden, Open Door Bird Sanctuary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands, and Climate Change Coalition of Door County.
Opening events of note:
Thursday, May 22: The Festival will kick off on with a “Paintings & Poems from The Ridges” art exhibit at the Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, featuring plein-air oil paintings by Jeff Kunkel and poems by Mary Elyn Bahlert. An artist reception will be held from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Special artist presentations will begin at 5:00 pm.
Friday, May 23: The Festival Dinner and Keynote Presentation, Field Notes by artist Rachel Davis and writer Andrew Hipp, will illustrate how their collaboration reveals and exists in parallel with the natural world, while presenting their understanding of how integrating art, science, and natural history has changed their respective practices.
Registration for Festival field trips and special events opens on March 17 for members and March 19 for the public. Members accessing early registration need to create an online member account prior to registration, which can be accessed at www.ridgessanctuary.org/membership/. Online registration is encouraged for securing preferred Festival field trips. For registration information, field trip resources, and sponsor details, go to www.doorcountyfestivalofnature.org. Participants can also contact The Ridges for information on the accessibility of field trips and events at (920) 839-2802.
About The Ridges Sanctuary: The Ridges Sanctuary is a 1,700-acre private, non-profit nature preserve located in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. It is listed as a National Natural Landmark, an Important Bird Area, and a Wisconsin State Natural Area. Founded in 1937, The Ridges Sanctuary was protected as Wisconsin’s first land trust to protect and preserve the sensitive found in Baileys Harbor. Today, The Ridges continues to serve Baileys Harbor and inspire the conservation of Nature through Preservation, Education and Research.
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