Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour 2025: Beauty everywhere!
October 1, 2025 | Topics: Events, Places
By Eddee Daniel
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh
There were six parks on this year’s Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour. I have seldom made it to all of the parks, but this year I was determined! I even picked up a passport at my first stop and had it stamped as I went along—which I’ve never done before! I did in fact make it to all six, but I didn’t get to the last one until everyone there had packed up, so missed my sixth stamp. No worries, though. What I did get was far more valuable: A lovely (short) hike in each of six exquisite parks, a chance to unwind, commune with nature, and soak up the warm autumn sunshine. Along with capturing a slew of photos to share of the experience, of course! Beauty everywhere.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour is an annual event sponsored by Ozaukee County Parks and Restoring Lands that highlights a selection of parks and preserves in Ozaukee County. Staff and volunteers were on hand at each site to inform and guide visitors. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I wish every county had a Treasures of X Eco-Tour! We value what we love; we love what we know; but we can’t know a place unless we spend time there.
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” —Henry David Thoreau
For the first time, I think, this year’s Eco-Tour included only places that I’ve been to before. Although that didn’t diminish my enjoyment, it did make finding fresh ways to photograph each one more challenging. I found myself seesawing between broad scenery and intimate details. I brought my drone along to provide aerial options (I have only three batteries, so I could only use the drone in half of the places). Because there were six places to cover, I limited my photo selections to four per park. However, there are links to our Find-a-Park page for each park where you will find more information, links to blog posts related to that park and additional photos, should you be inspired to go further.
They are in alphabetical order:
Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
This 116-acre Restoring Lands preserve is an important stopover along the Lake Michigan corridor for migrating birds, which inspired its name. It is also a model of restoration. Walking along it’s gently undulating terrain, through a “patchwork” of diverse habitats, it’s difficult to tell that not too long ago the property was a golf course. Years of restoration efforts have yielded acres of open prairie full of native wildflowers, five constructed wetland ponds as well as ephemeral ponds, an established hardwood forest and rapidly growing new woodlands. I’ve been visiting here no more than six years and even in this short time the changes are quite apparent.
For more information, including a map, many story links and additional photos, go to Forest Beach Migratory Preserve.
Highland Woods
This 85-acre preserve is owned by the City of Mequon. I arrived early and had the place to myself for half an hour in the early morning light. As I’ve discovered on previous visits, along with the mature hardwoods, mushrooms were among the more notable features, often growing on the decomposing corpses of those hardwoods. By the time I was done with my explorations, local historians Jim and Katie Gennrich had set up their table with information about the history of fox farming on the property. In places along the trail you can still see the ruins of some of the cages that were used to house the foxes.
For more information, story links and additional photos go to Highland Woods.
Mequon Rotary Park / Pukaite Woods and Spirit Lake Preserve
These are two adjacent parcels that just a month ago were conjoined by adding a connecting trail between them. I covered that story then, so on this occasion I spent my half hour or so wandering around the Pukaite Woods side of the equation. The Treasures of OZ organizers naturally wanted to show off their new attraction. Why wouldn’t they? The two parcels individually are locally valuable nature preserves. Together they become a destination park with over three and a half miles of interconnected trails. The ones on the Pukaite Woods side are also wheelchair accessible.
For more information, story links and additional photos go to Pukaite Woods at Mequon Rotary Park and/or Spirit Lake Preserve.
Riveredge Nature Center
One of the oldest—and at 485 acres, largest—independent nature centers in the region, Riveredge had been modeling habitat restoration and stewardship since 1968. A mile and a half of the Milwaukee River runs through it. I didn’t get to the river on this occasion, since I was short of time. I stuck close to the Education Center, taking a loop around a couple of nearby ponds where I encountered some wildlife. A young white tail deer ambled obliviously towards me on one of the trails, until it noticed me. I wasn’t quick enough to catch a photo before it ducked into the underbrush though. The painted turtle sunning on a log in one of the ponds didn’t mind.
For more information, trail map, story links and additional photos go to Riveredge Nature Center.
Tendick Nature Park
Wide open spaces are the name of the game at this 122-acre Ozaukee County Park. There is a lovely little woodlot of mature beeches, but most of the park is grasslands and wetlands, interspersed with a well-used disc golf course. Watch for flying discs! I don’t remember a time when I’ve visited and not seen people playing disc golf. Maybe mid-winter.
For more information, including a map and additional photos, go to Tendick Nature Park.
Virmond Park
Up until two years ago one of the major attractions at Virmond was the stunning view of Lake Michigan from one of the highest bluffs on its western shoreline. Now, though, it’s even better. The park now boasts a “floating stairway,” opened in 2023, that descends the face of the bluff all the way to the beach, which was never accessible before. In the few minutes I had my drone in the air I saw more people on the beach than I’ve ever seen at one time.
For more information, including a map, story link and additional photos, go to Virmond Park.
Related stories:
Autumn Odyssey 2: Treasures of Oz and more! (2022)
Photo essay: Exploring the Treasures of OZ (2021)
Photo essay: Fantastic fungi are among the Treasures of OZ! (2021)
The 10th Annual Treasures of Oz (2019)
Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks. Ozaukee County Parks Department and Restoring Lands are project partners of A Wealth of Nature.
So beautiful! Thanks for your detailed and passionate coverage of this awesome Ozaukee County community event.
Outstanding! Thank you so much!