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Master Gardener Lecture: Whitefish Dunes a Biotic Blueprint

February 13, 2018 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Whitefish Dunes- a Biotic Blueprint
Naturalist and Author Dale Goodner

The Door County Master Gardeners Association announces a free public continuing education program
featuring naturalist and author Dale Goodner of Algoma who will present “Whitefish Dunes- a Biotic
Blueprint” on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 7:00pm at the Crossroads at Big Creek, Sturgeon Bay.

Whitefish Bay on the Lake Michigan side of the Door Peninsula has always been special. That is particularly
true for the north end of the bay. Except for a couple of buildings and a one-lane gravel road winding its way
southward to the old fish house on Whitefish Bay Creek, that shoreline was for years a blank place on the
map. Such a place is too often referred to as “undeveloped.” But it is far from empty, for here you can
experience a dozen distinct ecosystems, that when taken together mirror the landscape of the entire Door
Peninsula. The area is so exceptional that over a century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt (a talented
ornithologist) identified this area as worthy of long-term protection. Fortunately, just over 800 acres
(including the highest dunes on Lake Michigan’s west shore) were most recently owned by only three
families. Protected from development pressure the landscape endured, and in 1967 “Whitefish Dunes”
became a Wisconsin State Park.

In this program, we’ll take a look at some of the diversity to be found in this remarkable place. Natural areas,
like Whitefish Dunes, provide a blueprint for gardeners and homeowners who want to enhance landscapes
with native plants. Studying these ecosystems and learning to duplicate them provides the home gardener
with accurate information about what will grow here. But following a native blueprint accomplishes more
than just establishing a small vignette of local flora, these areas also become “Bird Bistros” and a home for
wildlife. We’ll take a look at a couple examples of how this process benefits us all.

Naturalist and author Dale Goodner and his wife, Mary, reside in Algoma, Wisconsin, and are Co-presidents
of Wild Ones of Door County. Dale’s grandmother once owned property in what is now Whitefish Dunes
State Park, and Dale grew up romping through the area and along its beaches.

As with almost all of the Door County Master Gardeners’ events, this is free and open to the public.
For further information, visit the Door County Master Gardener website at www.dcmga.org

Details

Date:
February 13, 2018
Time:
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue

Collins Learning Center
2041 Michigan St
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 United States
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