Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour 2023

October 16, 2023  |  Topics: Events, Spotlight

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By Eddee Daniel

There are treasures in the land of OZ! No, not the fictional OZ, home of lions, tigers and bears—and wizards, oh my! This OZ is Ozaukee County. The treasures are its parks and other natural areas. Ozaukee County, like most if not all counties in Wisconsin, has a system of parks and preserves. But what other counties do not have is a Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour. I don’t know why. In my opinion, it’s an excellent way to showcase the wealth of nature in any community. Oh my!

When was the last time the beauty or the power of the natural world stopped you in your tracks? It happened for me during this year’s tour. Perhaps you open yourself to wonder frequently, but if you’re like me—like most people—it doesn’t happen often enough. That is one of the appeals of events like the Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour, which intentionally draw us out to visit the special natural places nearby. The tour highlights selected Ozaukee County Parks and Ozaukee Washington Land Trust (OWLT) preserves and provides tours and activities in them.

Five places were featured in this year’s Eco-Tour, which lasted all day on Saturday, Oct. 7. While I spent the entire day, I still didn’t make it to all five. But I am sharing with you a selection of the photographs from those that I managed to catch. A photograph can be many things; a remembrance, a wakeup call, a thing of beauty, a revelation, an invitation. At best a photograph momentarily transports you, the viewer, out of the ongoing current of your life and into a new, perhaps unexpected, realm. It invites you into a story. So, let me tell you these stories.

Virmond Park

 Virmond Park in Mequon has a lovely mix of prairie, wetland and woodland, with a trail that loops through all of them. But its most impressive feature has always been its situation atop one of the highest bluffs on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Until now, the exhilarating view of the lake from the edge of the bluff has been just that: a distant view from the edge. But a remarkable new staircase, which was many years in planning and construction, has just been completed. Dubbed a “floating” stairway because it rests against the bluff without penetrating the fragile surface. This is achieved by suspending the entire structure from the top using cables.

You can learn a lot of technical details about the design, engineering and construction on the Ozaukee Co Parks website, which is all quite fascinating and amazing. But it’s only half the story. The rest of the story begins when you cross the threshold at the top of the bluff and head down. Suddenly, your perspective changes completely. Instead of peering out at the lake from the top of the bluff, as before, you are now descending out on top of or in front of the bluff itself. The steeply eroded banks stretch away on both sides. Although the stairs feel solid and safe, the impression of floating is a real one.

Other parks along Lake Michigan have trails or stairs that enable you to reach the beach at the bottom, such as nearby Lion’s Den Gorge, but all of them utilize ravines to get there. I can’t think of any other place that provides this kind of experience. It is less about reaching the beach—which, once you get all the way down there, is narrow and rocky—than it is about the descent. Then, of course, there is the round trip! While I wouldn’t call the ascent arduous—it is just a long staircase, after all—I for one had to stop a few times to rest on the way back up. Which is fine since then you can continue to appreciate not only the unparalleled view but also contemplate the genius of the design.

Donges Bay Gorge Natural Area

This 23-acre OWLT preserve is a two-minute drive south of Virmond Park and also sits atop the Lake Michigan bluff. Its tiny public parking lot is squashed between the neighboring houses. For this special event we were allowed to drive down the road that is usually closed and park near the pavilion next to the bluff.

At Donges Bay Gorge I took in a morning tour led by OWLT board member and healthcare professional Dr. Jen Mackinnon. She gave a short talk at the pavilion about the intersection between human health and nature. First, she introduced the group to forest bathing, a relaxing way to enjoy nature, which originated in Japan, and has been proven to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Forest bathing involves mindfully spending time in nature by using all senses to ground oneself in the environment.

After her talk, Dr. Mackinnon and OWLT development director Leona Knobloch led a hike along Wendy’s Way, a trail through the preserve. Throughout the hike, they paused at various scenic spots; hikers were able to learn about the history of the land and the species who call the preserve home. Dr. Mackinnon spoke about each of the five senses in relation to the environment, and different ways that spending time in nature can lay the foundation for physical and mental well-being. For instance, the smell of flowers and leaves can have a relaxing and grounding effect when forest bathing—or simply hiking. The sound of rustling leaves, waves crashing on the beach, or the singing of birds also contribute to this relaxation.

Taste comes into play for those willing and able to learn which plants and fungi can be safely foraged and eaten, such as the ever-popular morel mushrooms. Participants were also encouraged to touch the bark of trees, pick up pine cones, and feel the earth underneath their feet.

Mackinnon also talked about the importance of vision and observing the natural world in a mindful way. Whether the subjects are ghost trees—dead, hollowed out trees that provide habitat for animals—or different species of plants, animals or fungi, deliberate observation of nature and the practice of being present can help lead to better health outcomes, both mentally and physically. *

Spirit Lake Preserve

The Spirit Lake story begins hundreds of years ago. That is when the Mound Builders lived in the area. For this event the descendants of those original inhabitants were represented by members of the Lutheran Church of the Great Spirit in Milwaukee and registered members of the Oneida nation. They led a large gathering in a ceremony to acknowledge that history, to honor the sacredness of the land, and to lift up the invaluable wisdom and creativity of indigenous people passed down from ancient times and continuing on through today. We all made a great circle around the sacred fire at the center. Everyone present was given a pinch of tobacco to place in the fire as an offering to symbolize our connection with the Creator, Mother Earth, the Spirits, and one another.

The Spirit Lake story is unending. It is a story of ongoing transformation. For a time, following colonial settlement, most of the land was converted to agricultural uses. But now, thanks to the ongoing stewardship of OWLT, it is in the midst of another transformation with the intent of returning the land to something like it was in pre-colonial times. In the few years that I’ve been visiting Spirit Lake the changes are readily apparent.

I spent most of the afternoon at Spirit Lake. Following the land acknowledgement most of the crowd dispersed on self-guided tours of the preserve. Later on a smaller group convened, this time to dance! Carrie Branovan, founder of Ancestral Rhythms/Movement Medicine, guided participants with curated “organic” music in free-form movements intended to connect with our ancestry and the nature of our indigenous heritage. Spirit Lake lived up to its evocative name for Treasures of OZ!

Mee-Kwon County Park

Although it was late, on my way home I stopped by Mee-Kwon Park, which is near Spirit Lake. There I discovered that the road that curves up the hill through the woods no longer bypasses the clubhouse parking lot. A big chunk of it is now a brand-new wetland/bioswale intended to capture and filter stormwater. Another success story of intentional resuscitation of the natural environment.

Although I did not make it to the fifth place on this year’s Eco-tour, you can visit Forest Beach Migratory Preserve virtually on our Find-a-Park map page. (You can also visit the pages for the other places by using the links in the titles.)

Watch for Treasures of OZ Eco-tour 2024 next year!

Related stories:

Treasures of OZ 2018 focuses on the Milwaukee River

Ozaukee County celebrates 10th annual Treasures of Oz! (2019)

Treasures of Oz Eco-Tour 2020

Fantastic fungi are among the Treasures of OZ! (2021)

Exploring the Treasures of OZ (2021)

Autumn Odyssey 2: Treasures of Oz and more! (2022)

* Note: Thanks to OWLT for providing information for this story.

All images by Eddee Daniel. The featured image at the top is from Donges Bay Gorge. Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and Ozaukee County Parks Dept. are both project partners of A Wealth of Nature.

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