Author: Coggin Heeringa, Pulse of the Peninsula-December 3, 2021

Old fields, abandoned orchards, abandoned pastures. Many properties in Door County are no longer used for growing food, but fortunately for all of us, many landowners choose to give up extensive lawn planting and instead make their land a bit desolate.

We tend to believe that Door County was a forest from coast to coast before Europeans settled, but according to Dan Collins and Nancy Atten of Local Landscape, this is not the case. "Historically, there have been a large number of grassland and savanna species in Men County," Collins said. "Our grassland is a natural opening formed by accidental harvests, fallen trees, bare bedrock, and accidental terrain. When people cleared and cultivated Menxian and then stopped farming, the old field conditions still existed."

In theory, Lao Tian will eventually become a forest. But we have begun to pay attention to the aesthetic reasons of grasslands, but also because they can increase the ecological value of land by increasing species and seasonal diversity. Studies have shown that if farms and orchards are close to land rich in native wildflowers and/or native shrubs and trees, their yields will be higher.

Therefore, some people work together to grow native wildflowers, while others just let the flow go. In either case, even if maintenance is not as labor-intensive as the monoculture called lawn mowing, fertilization, and chemical treatment, the colorful grass does not seem to last. 

In an article in the Wild Ones Handbook, Wendy Walcott wrote: "The promise of maintenance-free and ecological beauty often does not become a reality. A disappointed planter may cut it down and return to the grass-this time forever. .

“The truth is that it’s not easy to create a small piece of self-sustaining ecosystem. After all, it took years and millions of dollars on lawn mowers, bulldozers, herbicides, and public works salaries. Eliminate almost all native habitats. Why should all diversity be restored overnight and at low cost?"

Understand that recovery is an ongoing process. Invading weeds must be cleared. Appropriate plants should be added. Sometimes, just like a child, the grass "just goes through a stage" and then it will grow up. The grassland can be restored or edited through time and some knowledge of the local environment, but unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for land restoration.

Crossroads of Big Creek participated in a multi-year restoration project. The ecological restoration plan developed by Landscapes of Place states: “The quality and diversity of grasslands at crossroads vary. Low-diversity areas will be planted with native deep-rooted meadow species. These species can provide better resilience through diversity and Increase carbon sequestration in the soil."

At 2 pm on December 11th, the Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula will hold its annual meeting at Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay, with a speech titled "Restoration/Diversification Door County Meadows" by Nancy Aten and Dan Collins. The public is invited-in person or online-and a business meeting of Wild Ones members will be held after the lecture.

Anyone who works on the land knows that winter is a time for dreams and plans. Any piece of land, large or small, will benefit from local planting. Use this dormant time to learn how to protect the earth, one grass at a time.

Coggin Heeringa is the president of Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula and the interpretive naturalist of Big Creek Crossroads.

"Restoration/Diversification of Menxian Meadows"

The intersection of Big Creek, Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan St. in Sturgeon Bay

In the free lecture, Nancy Aten and Dan Collins of Landscapes of Place will discuss Crossroads' grass restoration project and how to choose plants. To watch online, please request a Zoom invitation by sending an email to Coggin Heeringa [email protection]

Wild Ones: Heal the earth one yard at a time

Wildlife: Pollinator's Plan

Wild plants: help native plants prepare for spring

Wild: Evergreens attract winter birds

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