News from the NWS Board

There is something refreshing about starting a brand new year with an outdoor hike – especially at the 45th parallel north!  Maybe a way to set a healthy intention for the upcoming year? Maybe a way to connect with like-minded, outdoorsy friends? Maybe a way to work off your New […]

Three new sugar maples have been planted at the Lot 3 picnic area, to replace recently removed dead/dying ash and balsam poplar trees. Our thanks to Tom Wolfe (Wolfe Horticulture) for his gracious pricing and assistance with planting. And our thanks to Peter and Jean Ann Nowak for their generous […]

The Songbird Garden, located adjacent to the Visitors Center, was conceived and designed by NWS volunteers Helen Kenny and Maureen Flatley in Spring, 2022.  This was the ‘capstone’ project for their Wisconsin Master Naturalist training. The garden has now blossomed through four summer seasons. Recently, a series of interpretive signs were installed […]

As park visitors head off to the beach and hiking trails from the Lot 3 parking lot, they will see, and hopefully use, a newly installed interpretive boot brush station. (There is a second one that has been installed where the Monarch, Poetry, and Newport trails converge.) NWS volunteers have […]

by Maureen Flatley, Deb Ford, and Rick Foster Our ongoing work to limit the spread of invasive plant species at Newport continues in 2025. Thanks so much to everyone who has answered the call to help with invasive species remediation! It is not very sexy work, but it helps us […]

NWS and Newport State Park were well represented at the Ellison Bay Day parade and festival on Saturday, June 28th. We had a perfect weather-day to celebrate our wonderful northern Door community and to chat with visitors about the work we do in support of the park.  Many thanks to all […]

In the fall of 2024, our team of NWS Master Naturalists started on another garden project at Newport. They began transforming an uninteresting patch of grass at the entrance to the park into a much more welcoming native garden. The early stages of their efforts are documented here. Their work […]

On April 6, a day-long chainsaw certification course was held at Newport. Eight NWS volunteers and two Friends of Rock Island volunteers participated. NWS underwrote 75% of the course cost for our NWS volunteers. Most of the 26 miles of trails in Newport are found in forested areas of the […]

Wild Tomato Pizza chose NWS as the beneficiary of their “Donation Creation” pizza sales during the month of February. For each “Gabagool” pizza ordered, $1 was donated to NWS. We are extremely grateful to receive their donation of $123. Several NWS board members and friends enjoyed the Gabagool pizza at […]

In response to feedback received primarily through our social media accounts, NWS hosted a presentation and Q&A for the public regarding our newly proposed plans for improvements to the Dark Sky Viewing Area at the park. It was held at the Visitor Center on Saturday, December 7. Our thanks to […]

NWS has long-recognized the need for improvements to Newport’s dark sky viewing area, located in the day-use venue adjacent to Lot 3. Our concerns with the current condition of the viewing area, especially when we host an educational or night sky viewing program, include: Over the past year, the NWS Long-range Planning Committee […]

Thanks to cooperative late-fall weather, our NWS master naturalists and volunteers have made significant progress on a new native plant garden at the entrance to Newport. A large patch of grass and weeds now supports three serviceberry trees, a variety of native grasses, some low-growing aromatic sumac, and a substantial amount of […]

Perhaps you met Ken leading a Newport hike, or an interpretive program, or volunteering on one of our park work projects. His smile was infectious. His knowledge of fire safety and wilderness preparedness was a gift to so many program participants. Our sincere sympathy to Mary and the Foszcz family. Ken […]

There is a lot of distance for volunteers to cover at Newport on any given work project. NWS recently purchased a new 4-person UTV to help volunteers reach remote areas of the park more efficiently. Whether it is locating and transporting gear to downed trees on trails or hauling out […]

In the first phase of an ongoing project, members of the NWS invasives team began installing new boot brush stations at several trail intersections in Newport State Park. Invasive species control is an issue for most state parks, especially in high public use areas such as hiking trails and campsites. […]

On September 24, 1964, our beautiful state park was formally established. It was known as Europe Bay State Park for 6 years; its name was changed to Newport State Park in August 1970. The original vision of how the park might be used, including the idea of a naturalist program, […]

NWS recently funded an upgrade to the ten stanchions located along the Poetry Trail. After 14 years of exposure to the elements, the frames in which the poems are displayed were showing their age. They have been replaced. The Poetry Trail was established at Newport during the summer of 2010, a collaborative […]

There are approximately 26 miles of wilderness, silent-sport (hiking, biking, skiing) trails at Newport. This is a significant area of public use in the park that needs to be monitored through all seasons. NWS now has a team of trail stewards who volunteer their time to keep an eye on […]

Newport State Park is not immune to the introduction and spread of invasive plant species. When invasives become established, they can quickly choke out native plant populations…out-competing them for space, sunlight and soil nutrients. Invasives are more problematic in areas of the park where humans (and wildlife) tend to travel: […]

NWS has learned of the recent passing of John C. Plume. Mr. Plume was manager of Europe Bay State Park in the late-1960’s. (Europe Bay SP was established in 1964 and became formally known as Newport State Park in 1970.) Mr. Plume’s obituary is available here. We are so very grateful […]

Friends groups like Newport Wilderness Society do not exist without the contributions of, well, friends. Today we want to recognize the extraordinary, ongoing support we receive from Carol and Chris Ash of Kick Ash Products in Ellison Bay. Where do we start?

A summary document prepared by the Wisconsin Policy Forum As you might imagine, this situation places increasing financial pressure on every state park property, park staff, and park-supporting friends groups like Newport Wilderness Society.

Despite the removal of several potentially problematic snags and dying trees before construction on the Fern Trail boardwalk began, in early January a large tree fell and damaged a boardwalk section. The downed tree was removed quickly. Thirteen NWS volunteers took advantage of favorable weather in February to repair the […]

Our thanks to everyone who submitted feedback (Aug/Sept 2023) to the DNR regarding the Master Plan variance for the proposed development of horse trails in Newport State Park. (Backstory and NWS opinion on this issue here.) Synopsis of DNR Decision (Jan 5, 2024) The department has decided NOT TO APPROVE […]

Destination Door County/Door County Community FoundationState Parks Grant Initiative$50,000 Matching Grant In late 2023, Destination Door County, in partnership with the Door County Community Foundation, launched the State Parks Grant Initiative to improve and enhance Newport, Peninsula, Potawatomi, Rock Island, and Whitefish Dunes State Parks. This grant initiative is divided into three parts: Donations […]

Newport Wilderness Society recently funded the purchase of a lightly-used Trackchair® for use at Newport State Park. It will be available for visitors with mobility challenges to use for better access to Newport Beach and nearby trails. Newport places a high priority on accessibility in our wilderness park, and NWS […]