Photos by Deb Ford, Mark Glasser, & Gene KennyClick on any photo to view in larger format Over the course of several work days in November, NWS volunteers removed all four ground-level segments of boardwalk from the Fern Trail. We need to explain. The Fern Trail was designed to be […]
Yearly Archives: 2021
32 posts
Carol Ash and her family have a deep connection to Newport State Park. As a child, she lived within biking distance of the park and remembers many family outings for picnics, swimming, baseball games, or just simply exploring. She carried on these traditions when she had children of her own. Fast forward […]
When you start up a conversation with Shannon Mough, owner of the activewear (and so-much-more) shop Twisted Tree at the Pharm, it takes a nanosecond to learn that anything outdoors, especially Newport State Park, is sanctuary. She and Maple, her ridiculously adorable Aussie, have spent many precious off-time hours in the park, reconnecting with everything […]
Photo-diary by Deb Ford, NWS BoardClick on any photo to view in larger format Where We Begin This is where our story starts. The original history kiosk definitely serves a purpose, but it doesn’t necessarily draw visitors in. NWS board member Julia Keepper researches Newport history, collects photos, and keeps the […]
The poems currently featured on the trail are by Mike Orlock, the seventh Poet Laureate of Door County. A former high school teacher and coach, Mike is the author of two poetry collections and has won awards from the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and the Wisconsin Writers’ Association. The purpose […]
Thanks to all of you who voted and helped Newport win a 2021 Gold Seal Award for the Best State Park System to Learn about Astronomy! We are so proud of our Dark Sky Park and everyone who helps us protect it. Here is Park Naturalist Beth Bartoli with the […]
By Julia Keepper, NWS BoardClick on any photo to view in larger format. In the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, there was a thriving town located near what is now Parking Lot 3 and the Newport Beach area. Hans Johnson and Peter Knudsen started a lumbering business and […]
Text by Beth Bartoli, Newport SP NaturalistPhotos by Deb Ford, NWS BoardClick on any photo to view in larger format Labor Day weekend is seen as the unofficial end of the summer season. Here at Newport, it means it’s time for Newport Wilderness Days. This event was started in 1992 as […]
Text and Media by Carol Ash, NWS Board I find myself being more grateful every year that I was raised In Door County, just a short bike ride away from Newport State Park. Our large family spent Memorial Day and Labor Day picnicking with other local families at the shelter at […]
By Jeanne Rabel and Terry Heidenreiter, NWS Board Newport State Park hosts both Little Brown and Big Brown bats. The Little Brown bat weighs less than one half an ounce, whereas the Big Brown Bat weighs about twice that. Bats can eat about one half of their body weight in […]
By Andy Orf, Northern Door Astronomy Club The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet takes 133 years to make a highly elliptical orbit around the Sun. It returns again in the year 2125. As the Swift-Tuttle comet travels around the Sun, it leaves a trail […]
By Andy Orf, Northern Door Astronomy Cluband Beth Bartoli, Newport SP Naturalist The Newport Wilderness Society (NWS) encourages its members, and the general public, to appreciate the value of Newport State Park being recognized as one of only 76 International Dark Sky areas by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). Newport received this […]
Annual Meetingof the Newport Wilderness SocietySaturday, July 31st, 9:00amPicnic Shelter; Lot 3 The Annual Meeting of the Newport Wilderness Society will be held outdoors at the park Picnic Shelter on Saturday, July 31st at 9:00am. Coffee and baked treats will be provided by Kick Ash. Along with reports from the NWS […]
Despite a morning of fog and drizzle, several NWS members met at Newport on Saturday, June 26 to tackle some work projects in the park. We weeded and tidied up the gardens at the Visitors Center, did some maintenance along the Fern Trail boardwalk, and walked the Upland Trail to […]
By Mark Glasser, NWS Board Recently, I was reminded how slowly time moves for many trees. In doing maintenance on the Poetry Trail at Newport State Park, I had to remove a 6-inch diameter Ash tree that had fallen across the trail. Two simple cuts and I removed the section […]
By Andy Orf, Northern Door Astronomy Club Experienced stargazers use a method called “star hopping” to find their way around the night sky. If you recognize certain stars, you can “hop” from one star to another. Most people can usually locate the Big Dipper – the constellation Ursa Major. Here is a […]
Selected works by the late Phil Hansotia are featured along the Poetry Trail this quarter. Phiroze ‘Phil’ Hansotia emigrated to the U.S. from India as a newly-minted physician in 1962. He sought further training and had an illustrious career at Marshfield Clinic as a neurologist specializing in sleep disorders and […]
By Andy Orf, Northern Door Astronomy Club We experience seasons because the Earth’s axis, anchored by the North and South poles, is tilted. In the summer, as the Earth orbits the Sun, the North Pole tilts toward the Sun; in the winter, the North Pole tilts away from the Sun. On […]
In early May, several NWS volunteers gathered at the park to hand-pull some large areas of Garlic Mustard along the Lynd Point trail. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an aggressive invader of wooded areas throughout the eastern and middle United States. Shade tolerance allows this plant to invade high quality, mature woodlands, where it […]
Text and photos by Beth Bartoli, Naturalist, Newport SP Although the recent snow and sleet tells us otherwise, spring is slowly showing its face in northern Door County. Early ephemerals are peeking their heads out of the ground, and wild leeks, also known as ramps, are dotting the forest floor […]
Meet Shannon Mough and Miss Maple. (Miss Maple is the one in the backpack, if there was any confusion.) They own Twisted Tree at the Pharm, an activewear and so-much-more shop located in Sister Bay. And they love to hike and play at Newport State Park. Twisted Tree has been […]
Coinciding with Earth Day weekend, nearly 30 NWS volunteers gathered at Newport on Saturday, April 24 to work on a variety of spring maintenance projects around the park. Board member Mark Glasser coordinated the work teams and projects, with input and great support from park management. Volunteers tidied up the buildings and gardens around the Visitors Center […]
Text and photos by Sheryl Honig, NWS Board(click on any photo to view in full size/slide show) What do buttery rich caramel, translucent lace, and shiny emeralds have in common? They all describe the leaves of a beech tree, which are breathtaking in all seasons at Newport! This spring, […]
Newport Wilderness Society is proud to be a supporter of the 2021 Every Day is Earth Day celebration. This event celebrates the people, organizations, and businesses that uphold our sustainable culture in Door County and beyond. Every Day is Earth Day comprises an environmentally focused weekend of resource exchange, an […]
Roasted by Kick Ash in Ellison Bay in support of NWS Carol Ash, NWS board member and owner of Kick Ash Products in Ellison Bay, continues her deep-rooted support of Newport Wilderness Society with the launch of Dark Sky Roast Coffee. All profits from your purchase of Dark Sky Roast will go to support the work of NWS. It’s the […]
By Andy Orf, Northern Door Astronomy Club If you already enjoy nighttime viewing, you know how tricky locating objects in the sky can be. Observing is best when there is a new moon (or a couple of nights before or after). The sky will be its darkest on April 12. […]
Eric Hyde joins Peninsula, Newport and Rock Island State Parks from the Washington County Park System Hello Newport Wilderness Society! It’s been a pleasure getting to know and working with the board and all the partners and volunteers since I joined the DNR in November of 2020. I look forward to […]
By Gene Kenny, Office of the President Newport Wilderness Society been discussing improvements to the Fern trail since 2018. This is our wheelchair accessible trail that routinely floods in the spring from snowfall until the ground thaws and then floods at other times with heavy rains. We have had conversations with […]
Marilyn Hansotia submitted these breathtaking sunrise images that she captured on a recent hike along Hotz Trail and Europe Bay. And she shares some wise words that she found in an unlikely place that same morning. Visitor View features images, stories and impressions of a day or overnight adventure to […]
Newport Naturalist Beth Bartoli worked with Brett Kosmider of Peninsula Filmworks to narrate this beautiful video which showcases the magic of the dark sky that we are fortunate to enjoy at the park. The video was a project of Destination Door County, and part of a wider-ranging article about stargazing […]