Upcoming events.
Pollinator Plant Sale
Join us for our second annual Pollinator Plant sale!
In conjunction with the Every Day is Earth Day Festival, we'll be hosting a pollinator plant sale - all funds benefit the Village of Egg Harbor's Green Tier Program.
Plants include:
Butterfly Weed
New England Aster
Prairie Blazing Star
Bergamot Fireweed
Stiff Goldenrod
Ohio Spiderwort
Join us on Saturday from 9:30 - Noon, and Sunday Noon- 5pm
Ridges Forest School Presents: "The Bog"
The Ridges Forest School in their debut of an original piece, The Bog!
The Bog is a nature-inspired theatrical journey that weaves together history, ecology, and storytelling at The Ridges. Beginning with the origins of the landscape, the play follows forest stewards as they explore wetlands and woodlands, encountering the plants and animals that call it home. Along the way, an unexpected character challenges—and ultimately reshapes—their understanding of stewardship, leading to a thoughtful and immersive conclusion under the evening sky.
About Ridges Forest School
The Ridges Forest School is an immersive, nature-based education program rooted in exploration, curiosity, and hands-on learning. Set within the unique ecosystem of The Ridges Sanctuary, students engage directly with the natural world, building connections to the land through seasonal observation, ecological discovery, and creative expression. The program fosters environmental stewardship and a deep appreciation for the diverse habitats that make Door County so special.
Open Door Bird Sanctuary Hunters of the Sky
Hunter of the Sky presents 4-5 of our resident native raptors as education ambassadors for the sanctuary.
Kids Leaf Hunt
Join us for a whimsical clay leaf hunt on the Kress Property. Children are invited to discover 250 artisan leaves hidden around the grounds, each one uniquely handcrafted by our talented potter friends at Lynn’s Pottery and Off The Wheel. It’s a playful, interactive experience that celebrates art, nature, and the joy of finding something special.
Medicine in your own back yard! The weeds you didn’t know you needed or grew!
Presented by Aurora from Aurora’s Apothecary
Join Aurora from Aurora’s Apothecary for an informative class on some of the most common medicinal plants found growing all around you whether you live in the city or the country. Aurora believes that the plant that can help whatever ails you, is probably growing within a mile of where you are. Let’s see how many of these medicinal “weeds” you recognize!
About Aurora
Aurora is the founder of Aurora’s Apothecary, where she crafts small-batch, plant-based products rooted in herbal tradition and holistic wellness. Her work is inspired by a deep connection to nature and a belief in the healing power of botanicals, with a focus on sustainability and intentional living. Through her offerings and community presence, Aurora shares accessible ways to incorporate herbal care into everyday life.
Native Trees Of Door County’s Upland Forests
Learn about the trees you’re likely to encounter in Door County’s upland forests, from the mature sugar maple/American beech woodlands, to the younger forests that have grown up during the last half century or so in former crop fields, orchards and pastures, to the ancient white cedar forests that run along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment.
About Mike
Mike Schneider is a Door County–based tree expert with a deep knowledge of forest ecology, native species, and sustainable land stewardship. He served as the Executive Director of The Clearing Folk School, where he helped guide its mission of connecting people to the land through education and the arts. With years of hands-on experience, Mike is passionate about sharing practical insights that help people better understand, care for, and connect with the trees around them.
Wild Fermentation
Presented by Rowan Kastner, Midsömmar Apothecary
Join this class to learn tried-and-true methods for safely and reliably making fermented vegetables and simple bubbly beverages at home. Along the way, enjoy fascinating tidbits of fermentation science and history.
About Rowan:
Rowan Kastner is a trained chef who has worked in notable restaurants across the country, from Vermont to California and New Orleans to Wisconsin. He is the co-owner of Midsommar Apothecary in downtown Sister Bay, offering herbal remedies, body care, and summer fare, and featuring Craft Bitters & Botanicals for mixology enthusiasts.
Nourishing Relationships - Building Connection with Plants and Fungi Through the Lens of Mental Wellness and Regulation
Join Crystal Brown, BSN-RN, of Inspired North, to connect with edible and medicinal wild plants and fungi, to increase your understanding of how these relatives can help us tend to our mental wellbeing, through the very act of gathering and working with them. We will explore how the ways we learn can help us navigate fear and stress. Through observation, movement, identification, and stories, we will discover how these wild relationships nourish us at a deeper level. This workshop is appropriate for all ages, experiences, and backgrounds, but may be especially helpful for individuals or parents looking to support themselves or others through navigating life’s challenges.
In addition to being a bio-regional herbalist and wild food educator, Crystal has worked as a psychiatric mental health nurse, with children, adolescents, and adults, and has explored wholistic approaches to health and regulation of the nervous system. Join her to understand how the process of bringing wild plants and fungi into our kitchens and apothecaries, can heal not only the body, but tend the mind and spirit through this interactive workshop.
About Crystal
Crystal Brown, BSN-RN, is the founder of Inspired North, where she blends her clinical nursing background with a passion for holistic wellness and intentional living. Drawing on her experience in healthcare, Crystal supports individuals in creating balanced, sustainable approaches to health that nurture both body and mind. Through Inspired North, she offers education, resources, and community-centered experiences designed to inspire people to live well, naturally.
Mushroom Cultivation 101
Presented by Michael Marit, Door County Mushrooms
You can grow mushrooms at home. Come learn about all of the options you have to grow right where you're at. Some of the mushrooms we'll cover include: shiitake, oyster, wine cap, chestnut, and even some wild species! Door County Mushroom Co. will have all supplies available for you to start growing right away.
About Michael
Michael Marit is the founder of Door County Mushroom Company in Sturgeon Bay, where he grows gourmet mushrooms outdoors using sustainable log cultivation methods. His interest in fungi began with a curiosity about how mushrooms appear and disappear so quickly in the forest, which led him to study mushroom ecology, cultivation, and foraging. Michael is also active in the Door Peninsula Mushroom Club and enjoys teaching others about mushrooms through farm tours, workshops, and community education.
Dandelions for Dinner?
Presented by Herbal Pharmacist, Dave LaLuzerne
Dave has some dandelion recipes and a shelfful of herbal remedies that he would like to share with you. Learn how to use the plants that grow wild all around you for your health and well-being.
About Dave
Dave LaLuzerne was born with a green spark in his heart (interestingly, his last name is the French word for alfalfa.) Nurtured through pharmacy school and many years as an herbal pharmacist in his herb shop, he now finds his passion is educating people about the numerous and wondrous ways to use herbs for our health and well-being.
Nordic Wisdom for Living in Relationship with Nature
Presented by Elizabeth Moriarty of Midsommar Apothecary
Friluftsliv - meaning “open-air living” - is a Nordic tradition that understands time in nature not as recreation, but as a relationship.
Rooted in ancestral animist worldviews, it recognizes land, weather, plants, and animals as part of a living ecology. This talk explores how friluftsliv reflects an understanding of wellness as harmony with nature and how cultivating a regular relationship with the natural world can support balance, resilience, and a deeper sense of belonging.
About Elizabeth:
Elizabeth Moriarty, RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist, ethnobotanist, and botanical product developer with over 30 years of experience creating herbal supplements, topicals, foods, and beverages. She is the founder of Luminary Medicine Company and co-founder of Midsommar Apothecary in Sister Bay, where she offers herbal consulting and education rooted in Nordic herbal traditions and Great Lakes bioregionalism. Elizabeth also conducts ethnobotanical research, teaches workshops on topics like foraging and fermentation, and brings extensive expertise in herbal medicine, regulatory compliance, and traditional plant knowledge.
Live Lecture with Charlotte Lukes: Door County Environmental Mentors
Charlotte Lukes will share the story of environmental stewardship in Door County for this special Earth Day presentation, an inspiring look at the history of environmental stewardship on the peninsula.
A mentor herself, Charlotte Lukes is a distinguished naturalist, educator, and writer. Alongside her late husband, Roy Lukes, she has dedicated her life to environmental conservation and education in the region. She has conducted extensive scientific research on the mushrooms of Door County, identifying over 600 species. She continues to teach classes, present programs, and lead nature hikes throughout the region.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be in person at Crossroads at Big Creek. Sponsored by Door County Master Gardeners (DCMGA) and Wild Ones – Door Peninsula.
Attendees can pick up a free conifer. These conifers are offered free, as part of the Door County BIG PLANT, in which we collectively distribute, share, and plant over 10,000 trees each year. Coordinated by the Climate Change Coalition of Door County and executed by the whole Door County community!
Environmental Exploration – Earth Day Special
During a special Earth Day afterschool program, young people will learn the many ways they can become Environmental stewards. Geared for elementary students, learners of all ages are welcome to attend.
Meet in the lab at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to the generosity of donors like you.
Ridge and Swale Special Earth Day Showing
A free, in-person showing of Ridge and Swale Part Two at the Crossroads’ auditorium. Ridge and Swale is a two-part documentary celebrating a legacy of conservation and community in Door County. Produced by Peninsula Filmworks, the series tells the story of how the Door County community has worked and continues to work on preserving and maintaining its natural beauty and heritage.
Ridge and Swale is made possible by its sponsors, the Peninsula Pulse, Destination Door County, The Ridges Sanctuary, Door County Medical Center, and The Clearing.
Open to the public and free!
Attendees can pick up a free conifer. These conifers are offered free, as part of the Door County BIG PLANT, in which we collectively distribute, share, and plant over 10,000 trees each year. Coordinated by the Climate Change Coalition of Door County and executed by the whole Door County community!
The Land Remembers with music by Rob Roy Campbell
The Land Remembers is a reflective storytelling presentation that explores our ancestral connection to the Land and what it means to be a steward of the places we call home. Blending personal narrative, environmental history, and ecological insight, this moving and educational session invites us to listen to the lessons of the Land—its memory, its resilience, and its call for care.
This year’s program will also highlight the essential role of prescribed burning in maintaining healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. Fire, when used with intention and respect for traditional Land practices, helps restore native habitats, reduce invasive species, prevent larger, dangerous wildfires and preserve the balance that nature depends on.
Through stories rooted in Door County’s natural beauty and the science behind fire ecology, we’ll reflect on how Land holds memory—and how we can honor that memory through mindful stewardship.
Presentation by: Bob Bultman, Geonaturalist of RestoreDoor EcoLogical Services and Door County Prairie Company
Music by: Rob Roy Campbell
Beyond No Mow May, a presentation by Wild Ones with Music by Jess Holland & Nick Hoover
"No Mow May" is a catchy name for a trend among home gardeners to let their lawns grow wild for a few weeks in the spring. While it does have some benefits, just delaying mowing doesn't provide long term benefits to insects like bees and other pollinators. Learn how you can take additional steps throughout the year to support wildlife, increase biodiversity and improve water and air quality.
I don't know if you want to specifically include information about Wild Ones, but if you do, you could add something like: Wild Ones is a national organization that promotes the use of native plants in home landscapes.
Presentation by Karen Newbern of Wild Ones with Music by Jess Holland and Nick Hoover.
Power of the Seed with The Door County Seed Library & Jeanne Kuhns
Join the Door County Seed Library for an inspiring presentation on the incredible potential of seeds—tiny powerhouses of life, resilience, and biodiversity. Learn how saving and sharing seeds preserves heirloom varieties, strengthens local food systems, and builds community self-reliance. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just seed-curious, this presentation will help you see the humble seed in a whole new light.
Earthy Egg Hunt
Kids and families can search the Kress Pavilion grounds for hand-painted, eco-friendly eggs, with a chance to discover one of four Golden Eggs hidden among them. Golden Egg prizes include some seriously exciting surprises:
- A birthday party package for 10 at Sister Bay Bowl
- A Pizza Bros + One Barrel pizza party for 10 — kid-friendly drinks and craft brews for the adults.
- A $75 gift certificate to Hands On Art Studio
- An Oak Tree courtesy of our friends at the Climate Change Coalition.
Free and open to all families—just bring your baskets and a sense of adventure.
The Winter Play
The Winter Play by Ridges Forest School
directed, written, designed, and created by the students of The Ridges Forest School.
Pollinator Plant Sale
Support the Buzz + Build a Better Yard
No Mow May, now what?
Join us at the Every Day is Earth Day Festival for a special Pollinator Plant Sale benefiting the Village of Egg Harbor’s Green Tier Program. Every plant purchased supports local sustainability efforts while helping you transform your space into a pollinator paradise.
What’s blooming at the sale?
• Butterflyweed – A vibrant milkweed essential for Monarch caterpillars
• Prairie Blazingstar – A nectar-rich beacon for emerging Monarchs and native butterflies
• New England Aster – A vital late-season bloomer, often called the “Last Chance Café” for pollinators
• Fireweed – A favorite among hummingbirds and other pollinators looking for energy on the wing
These native plants don’t just beautify your garden—they support biodiversity, pollinators, and healthy ecosystems across Door County.
Plant with purpose. Support local action. Build a yard that feeds the future.
Every Day is Earth Day
As the day unfolds, enjoy live music from curated musicians, expert presentations on how to restore yards, land and public spaces to become native based and the importance of pollinators and birds, and booths from some of Door County's leading eco-conscious organizations. Plus, we’ll be giving out free trees and hosting our first ever pollinator plant sale.