Door County, WI – Door County Land Trust recently expanded protection of a fragile wetland with the largest acquisition yet for the Kellner Fen Natural Area. 149 acres were purchased in a bargain sale from Dennis and Susan Garrity earlier this year.

The acquisition preserves globally important ridge-and-swale landscape and habitat for rare species like the federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly. It expands protection of the fen considerably, extending the natural area to a total of 515 acres.

“The Land Trust has been interested in this property for over 15 years due to its incredible ecological significance,” said Executive Director Emily Wood. “These ancient dunes tell the story of Lake Michigan’s past, and the wetlands are home to rare orchids, carnivorous plants, and a remarkable diversity of life. These are features we simply can’t replace once they’re lost.”

An Interest in Preservation

The Garrity’s owned the land for 25 years and never wanted to see it developed. Susan’s background in environmental science and policy informed the family’s choice to purchase the unique property. Susan previously worked on environmental impact studies in Door County with The Nature Conservancy and has a deep interest in preservation.

“We were always intrigued by the fen,” said Dennis Garrity. “We knew the beauty and environmental significance should be preserved for public benefit.”

Before the sale to the Land Trust, the property had potential to be divided into hunting parcels or residential developments in an area with considerable appeal due to its proximity to the Lake Michigan Shoreline.

The Garrity’s are members of the Land Trust and see the organization as the best long-term stewards of the property. “The Lake Forest Park Road neighborhood is wonderful,” said Dennis, “and we are delighted to know that rare species are protected, and the area will be kept natural for the community to enjoy.”

Ecology of the Fen

The fen itself appears to be a vast field surrounded by cedars, tamarack, and pine, with open water in the center. Close inspection reveals the unique qualities of the landscape, where woven layers of peat and sedge create a bouncy mat which floats on the wetland. This habitat supports some of the most unique plants in the state.

This wetland sustains a large diversity of life due to its fragile pH balance. Kellner Fen is considered a “rich” fen thanks to calcium-rich groundwater that seeps in through limestone bedrock. Disturbance to the wetland by development or contamination could be detrimental to the populations of orchids, carnivorous plants, dragonflies, and other rare species that live there.

Layers of History

The newly protected land may hold forgotten history in addition to ecological interest, according to neighbor and Lake Forest Park Road resident John Vincent.

According to Vincent, archival records from the Door County Advocate indicate that a forgotten path—which he calls the “lost road”—likely traversed this property. The path is no longer visible, but some evidence suggests it connected Clay Banks all the way to Baileys Harbor before the Sturgeon Bay ship canal was constructed. Vincent thinks this road could have been made over the meandering route of an existing path created by Door County’s early indigenous inhabitants, suggested by 1800s-era accounts of existing trails along the lakeshore.

The lost road likely provided access to the fen when the ship canal project’s Chief Engineer William T. Casgrain began a commercial cranberry farm in the wetland, where wild cranberries grew in abundance. Casgrain utilized the Swamp Land Act of 1850 to purchase and clear land in the fen. He deepened drainage ditches and planted new cranberry vines but ultimately failed to achieve commercial success due to frequent frosts.

The Future of the Land

Today, the newly protected land will provide access to the fen for care and management by the Land Trust. The organization plans to take inventory of invasive species on the property and implement a control plan. The property will be stewarded to protect water quality, rare species, migratory bird habitat, and forest health for generations to come.

The Garrity’s sold their property to the Land Trust in a bargain sale below appraised market value and the tract will be known as The Dennis and Susan Garrity Family Tract at Kellner Fen Natural Area.

Land Protection is Not Accidental

Land protection is only possible when willing landowners consider conservation. The Land Trust is grateful to Sue and Dennis Garrity for being willing to work together to save a remarkable part of Door County.

In addition to donations from supporters and Land Trust members, the purchase of this property is made possible in part by grant funding from NRDAR through the Fox River Trustee Council and through the WI-DNR Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund (KNSF). This purchase is the Land Trust’s last project being funded by the KNSF under its current funding cycle, which will end in July without a plan for renewal. If you care to see land protection continue at a pace that attempts to keep up with rapid development, now is a critical time for your voice to be heard. Tell our legislators to work together to renew this bipartisan program which has been critical to many land protection projects throughout Door County.

Dive Into History! Watch a presentation by John Vincent on the Lost Road and Casgrain’s Cranberry Marsh on the Door County Library’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=HsoAOM7JLS4