A Story of Conservation

For many people, to visit Door County is to fall in love. The peninsula’s remarkable wild and rugged landscape attracts and captivates scores of visitors, and many hold it close to their heart. If you’ve strolled along a rocky lakefront bluff or discovered a delicate wild orchid in the woods, you understand.

But there can be peril in holding something too closely. Although tourism is the lifeblood of Door County’s economy, human pressures threaten the very beauty that brings people here.

Fortunately, there’s another story unfolding in the area, and it’s being shared through a new Peninsula Filmworks project called Ridge and Swale. It tells the story of conservation in Door County – a remarkable history of the steps that have been taken to protect the character of the county and, in turn, how those steps have shaped it. It’s the reason those bluffs and orchids are still out there, waiting to be discovered.

The filmmakers say it’s a story that needed to be shared.

“It’s a passion project,” said the project’s producer, David Eliot, who is also the publisher, of the Peninsula Pulse. “A lot of people complain about all the new development. We thought there was an opportunity for a story that [acknowledges that] there is a lot of development, but boy, there is a lot of conservation, too –the amount of space [protected] and the history of the people who had the foresight to set aside these natural places and preserve them for future generations. It seemed like a really great story to tell.”

New Community Investment Fund Supports Local Initiatives

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Community Foundation acting as administrator, is a natural evolution of Destination Door County’s work. Using a portion of room tax dollars paid by overnight visitors, the Community Investment Fund offers grants to projects that benefit our visitors while they are here and also improves the quality of life for those who live and work in Door County. Wisconsin State Lodging Tax Statute requires that we use room tax dollars by ensuring that a project will be significantly used by visitors and also must likely lead to an increase in visitors staying overnight in paid accommodations in Door County. These are the requirements of any application to the Community Investment Fund. However, to earn a grant from the Community Investment Fund, a project must also demonstrate how it will meaningfully improve the quality of

By Ben Jones

The filmmakers had planned and researched the project for years, before formally undertaking the bulk of filming in 2022. Director Brett Kosmider said he hopes the film inspires future generations to become involved in protecting the county’s resources – or at least pay attention to what’s at stake.

“I think it’s presumed that Door County’s open spaces will always be there,” Kosmider said. “When you look around, you see the bucolic countryside. Whether it has ecological value or not, it’s the character of Door County, and it’s quickly disappearing.”

Thanks to community conservation work that has spanned decades, however, many places are now protected forever.

Julie Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Door County, said Destination Door County is excited to support Ridge and Swale.

“If we don’t support and take care of our environment and natural resources, they will not sustain who we are as a community and as a visitor economy. It’s just very important.”

Gilbert said Door County’s natural and business resources have been stressed by the large influx of visitors who sought to get out of urban areas during the pandemic. In response, Destination Door County launched efforts such as Care for Door County, a campaign that includes cultural, quality-of-life and eco-focused initiatives.

“We have worked very hard in being extremely mindful in how we can balance the visitor experience, as well as our life for residents of Door County. Priorities include:

Creative ideas that have a meaningful impact on the people who live and work in Door County Impact crosses municipal boundaries so it is good for the entire County. Encourages collaboration.

Leverages additional resources.

Residents experience the positive impact of the visitor economy.

The more of these priorities that are addressed by an application, the more likely it is that a project will receive a grant. It is necessary that the project be significantly used by visitors and reasonably likely to increase overnight stays. However, that is not sufficient as the project also must positively impact people who live and work in Door County. We continue to refer to the fact that the Community Investment Fund must follow the Wisconsin State Lodging Tax Statute rules regarding the use of room tax dollars as this fund is being supported by the 70% of the county’s room residents’ [needs] in order to be sure that everybody can enjoy the beauty and the natural resources that we have,” Gilbert said.

Coffee sponsored by Door County Coffee and snacks provided by Destination Door County at each tour.

“The people who come here, many of them have been coming here over generations,” she said. “Second- and thirdtime, fourth-time visitors, they also see their impact and want to take care of the place that we call home because they love it as much as we do.”

Ridge and Swale explores the people and places behind Door County’s conservation and education success stories, detailing entities such as Peninsula, Newport and Potawatomi State Parks; The Ridges Sanctuary; and The Clearing Folk School.

“There are all sorts of interesting stories that I’ve spent the last few years digging into and researching,” Kosmider said. “When you are finished watching it, I hope you will have a greater appreciation of what it took – what people had to do before us to make sure these places were saved for the future generations.” tax collections we receive from the Tourism Zone, which must be used on tourism promotion and tourism development as opposed to the 30% that municipalities receive, to use however they deem appropriate. If you are interested in finding out more about the Community Investment Fund visit: https://doorcountycommunityfoundation.org/communityinvestment-fund/ . We also encourage applicants to reach out to the Door County Community Foundation for an informal assessment of your idea before you submit a formal application. There is the common grant application that an applicant needs to fill out and then there is an addendum that is also required. This addendum has to be completed as it qualifies the projects specifically based on the statute requirements.

Produced by Peninsula Filmworks, the series is made possible by its sponsors: the Peninsula Pulse, Destination Door County, The Ridges Sanctuary, Door County Medical Center and The Clearing.

Note: This story was excerpted from the full feature in the 2023 Door County Living Philanthropy issue.

The docuseries is available for viewing online at conservedoorcounty.com.

As this is the first year of the program, there will be learning and from that we will continue to adjust, so this fund does benefit the entire County. We are very excited to see the projects that will come to fruition with this funding and are very excited to be a part of it all!