Property on the Ahnapee River is newly protected by the Door County Land Trust
TOWN OF FORESTVILLE – An ecologically significant property of more than 47 acres along the Ahnapee River was acquired and is now permanently protected by the Door County Land Trust.
The trust completed its purchase of the property Feb. 5, saying in a press release the previous owner "expressed appreciation that the land will remain in its natural state, ensuring its ecological integrity for future generations."
According to the release, the property is important because it supports a wide variety of bird and fish species, supports watershed health and provides a migration corridor for wildlife. Another important part of the acquisition by the land trust is that access to the property is enhanced from the Ahnapee State Trail, a portion of which is part of the statewide Ice Age Trail.
The newly protected property is comprised mostly of emergent marsh and includes part of the river and streambank, wetlands and a small former hayfield. Birds such as yellow warblers, soras and green herons can be found there, along with fish like pike and rainbow and brown trout.
As part of the Ahnapee River Wildlife Corridor, a vital habitat of wetlands and riverbank that follows the river from its headwaters near the hill in Brussels to its mouth on Lake Michigan, the area supports migrating and nesting birds, fish habitats and diverse plant life. The press release from the land trust says conservation efforts along the river help ensure its critical wildlife passageways remain intact.
The land trust also will monitor water quality and restore wetland habitats within the property in its efforts to sustain and enhance the health of its watershed.
With the Ahnapee State Trail running alongside, the property can be accessed from the trail and a nearby road, but a parking lot is not available. The acquisition allows outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers and hunters, to continue to check out the scenic views of the wetland habitat.
Funds for the purchase of the land were awarded by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program with anticipated support from the federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act, along with private donations. Donations from land trust members and a grant through the Door County Community Foundation will go toward long-term protection and stewardship of the property.
The Door County Land Trust protects more than 9,100 acres of land, with 15 featured nature preserves open for hiking and other low-impact, nonmotorized recreational activities, all at no charge. For more information, including trail maps, donations or memberships, visit doorcountylandtrust.org.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.
MORE: Unique sunrise image at Door County state park wins statewide nature photo contest
MORE: Learn all about owls when The Ridges Sanctuary holds its annual Owl-O-Rama
MORE: Door County Polish restaurant to open second, much larger location
FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County Land Trust adds property next to the Ahnapee River
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The location was lost to time, until mysterious lights led a local hermit deep into a forest to the sepulchre. A shrine was built to mark the site, and the cult of Santiago was born. The faithful from across Europe began trekking to see the holy relics — and never stopped, forever changing the fortunes of the area. In response to their influx, the shrine grew into a cathedral, and a city developed around it. The network of trails leading to Santiago de Compostela became the Camino de Santiago, one of the biggest pilgrimages in the world by any measure. In 2024, a record half a million travellers 'completed' it, walking or cycling 100 or 200 miles to the city, respectively. The appeal of the Camino now goes far beyond its religious foundations, with a new generation of pilgrims coming for quiet contemplation and the chance to immerse themselves in nature. In the square, I meet a Polish graduate who likens the path to a Catholic prayer, and a Dutch writer who trekked it to set resolutions for personal growth. I hear stories of a French girl who came on foot from her front door, and a Swiss man who kept walking long past the finish line. 'I did it to prove I could do it,' says Maria. Born in Spain's Canary Islands to a Galician mother, she first saw Santiago de Compostela at the end of her pilgrimage, and she's now lived in the city for more than 20 years. 'It welcomed me with open arms, and it expressed to me the entire Camino. I felt like I was back in medieval times, and maybe the pilgrims of old felt the same things I was feeling.' In 2024, a record half a million travellers 'completed' the pilgrimage through the Camino de Santiago, walking or cycling 100 or 200 miles to the city, respectively. Photograph by AWL Images, Hemis Santiago himself used to be a fisherman. According to the Bible, Jesus nicknamed him 'Son of Thunder' due to his temper. Photograph by 4Corners Images Some of the traditions set by those early pilgrims are still observed today. Maria leads me inside the cathedral, down the simple, Romanesque nave to the gold-plated, baroque Main Chapel. We join a queue for the customary circuit of the altar: down into a crypt to see the relics, a silver casket in Santiago's ancient tomb, then up via a passageway to hug his statue, which dominates the structure. A man before me places his hands and forehead on the bust, closes his eyes and pauses, a moment so intimate I shift my gaze. Walk around the Old Town, and you'll find this deep sense of spirituality is built into the city itself. We pass the monastic complex of San Martín Pinario, which offers guest rooms reminiscent of monk's quarters, empty but for wrought-iron beds and writing desks. Then there's the monastery of San Paio, where cloistered Benedictine nuns sell tarta de Santiago, almond pies bearing the Santiago Cross, another symbol of the pilgrimage. Visitors ring a bell, and receive their order through a revolving window. We reach Mercado de Abastos, the city's food market and second main attraction. It's made up of eight granite halls, each with an entrance reminiscent of a Romanesque chapel, with long aisles like naves. On display are crates of cachelos (Galician potatoes) and grelos (turnip greens), Iberian hams and chorizos. 'The architect wanted to create a cathedral of products,' says Maria, handing me a slice of mild tetilla cheese to sample, which is made from cow's milk. Within Santiago de Compostea's Old Town, there's the monastery of San Paio, where Benedictine nuns sell tarta de Santiago, almond pies bearing the Santiago Cross. Visitors ring a bell, and receive their order through a revolving window. Photograph by AWL Images, Hemis Producers have been coming here to sell their wares since the 19th century. 'Some 80% of Galicians still live in the countryside, and our coast is so rich in seafood,' says Maria, as we pass thick piles of ice topped with velvet crabs, octopus and percebes (goose barnacles). Scallops, the shells of which we saw earlier, carved into the stone of Santiago Cathedral, are on offer as well, of course. 'The cult of food, too, forms a strong part of our culture.' Santiago himself used to be a fisherman. According to the Bible, Jesus nicknamed him 'Son of Thunder' due to his temper. The moniker seems fitting given that in Galicia, his supposed place of rest, it rains for around 150 days a year on average. The resulting landscape is so green, it could pass for Wales; Santiago de Compostela is actually one of the cities with the highest square footage of park space per inhabitant in the whole of Spain. After leaving Maria, I head to Parque de San Domingos de Bonaval, the former estate of a Dominican convent that sits on a hill on the outskirts of the Old Town. I stroll to the oak grove at its top; looking down, I take in the view of the city's rooftops and cathedral towers, which gradually fades into a haze in the far distance. All this was built for the pilgrims, who arrived step after step, century after century; the cult of Santiago is shrouded in lore, but this much can't be denied, a fact as miraculous as anything here. So, I take my cue and sit on the grass, lie back and stare. 1 2 Tours offers private, customisable tours of the city. Stay at Hospedería San Martín Pinario, a guesthouse in the namesake monastic complex. Doubles from €149 (£125). From Santiago de Compostela airport, it's a 20-minute taxi ride to the city; booking transfers in advance is recommended, especially in high season (July to September). This story was created with the support of the Spanish Tourist Office. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
