The newly protected 12 hectares of land, through which a stream runs, brings the total size of the Trust’s Kellner Fen area to 388 hectares.
STURGEON BAY – The Door County Land Trust recently acquired a stream-centered property near Kellner Fen Natural Area on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Sturgeon Bay that will improve water quality in this ecologically unique wetland.
The newly protected property is a 12-acre parcel of land located on County TT and Lake Forest Park Road, about a half-mile north-northeast of the main hydrologic feature of the marsh. There are no walking trails, parking or other amenities on site and the only signs marking it are small orange boundary signs erected by the Trust.
In addition to wetlands and forests, the property also includes an unnamed, year-round stream that flows from its source north of TT into Lake Michigan. A Land Trust press release states that the stream indicates that the property is likely connected to Kellner Fen via a groundwater connection.
Jesse Koyen, the trust’s land program director, said the creek alone would ensure the property would be considered for protection.
“Protecting surface water ensures water quality in the region and provides important habitat for fish,” Koyen said in the press release.
But he also said the property not only contributes to local water quality, but is also likely home to the same wildlife as the nearby marsh.
The acquisition is also consistent with the Land Trust’s 20-year goal of expanding protection of the pristine lands surrounding the moor. The long-term strategy is to preserve lands that can eventually be connected to form a larger wildlife corridor.
“By protecting the surrounding land, even if it is not adjacent, you extend the conservation benefits of the land we already protect,” Koyen said. “Birds and other wildlife on the moor will be able to spread due to the proximity to this newly protected property.”
The goals of managing the new property include removing invasive species to make room for native species to thrive.
The press release describes Kellner Fen as “a rare type wetland characterized by large areas of open water and an extensive, delicate sedge mat floating on the water below,” with the wetland surrounded by dense forest.
The fen is home to several rare orchids and carnivorous plants, including sundews and pitcher plants. It is also home to unusual insect species, including the Hine’s emerald dragonfly, of which Door County is estimated to account for two-thirds of the world’s population. Kellner Fen is one of 11 areas in Door County considered an important breeding site for the Hine’s emerald dragonfly. It also provides shelter, nesting and feeding opportunities for migratory and breeding birds, as does the new property.
With this acquisition, the Land Trust now protects 388 acres of land in its Kellner Fen project area, including 63.3 acres the Trust acquired last summer.
Grants from the state’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment Restoration Program and the state’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund covered 50% of the cost of purchasing the property. The remainder of the purchase price and related costs and long-term management will be covered by private donations through the land trust’s 2024 Conservation and Stewardship Campaign.
For more information, visit doorcountylandtrust.org.
CContact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected].
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