8 acres of serenity along the Lake Michigan shoreline. A taste of nature close to home.
Welcome to the Shorewood Nature Preserve!
Located in the village of Shorewood, Wisconsin between Menlo Boulevard and Newton Avenue on the east side of Lake Drive, the preserve’s winding trails lead visitors down a bluff to a terrace overlooking Lake Michigan. Join us in enjoying and caring for this special place.
About the Preserve
Learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the land.
- 1973—A proposal to turn the land that is now the Shorewood Nature Preserve into a 200 unit condominium complex faced opposition.
- 1980 the final south portion of todays preserve was donated to the village.
- 1982—The Preserve was officially dedicated.
- 2022—Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve founded.
- 2023—Boundary and land surveys completed, and a Land Management plan was developed.
- 2025- Partnership with Surfrider Foundation
- 2026-Bader Philanthropies granted $250,000 to support our work. We continue to seek additional funding.
Plants
- 94 different native plant species were surveyed; notably:
- An amazing array of spring ephemeral flowers including bloodroot, cutleaf toothwort, virginia bluebells, trillum, trout lily, and wild geranium.
- Shade-prefering forbs highlighting: jewelweed, ostrich fern, zig-zag goldenrod, woodland asters, blue cohosh, soloman’s seal, meadow-rue
- Southern mesic hardwoods such as sugar maple, oak, hickory, beech, and basswood.
- Shrubs such as currants, elderberries, sumac, dogwood, and serviceberries
Animals
- Visitors have identified 216 species of birds in the Preserve.
- Mammals include white-tailed deer, coyotes, squirrels, raccoons, weasels, and rabbits.
- There are also many important pollinating insects.
Initiatives
With a network of valuable partners and a mighty team of volunteers, the Friends of the Shorewood Nature Preserve are engaged in a variety of ongoing projects.
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Land Restoration
Installed native plants including Serviceberry, Soloman’s Seal, Maidenhair Ferns, and Jacob’s Ladder throughout the Preserve.
Planted a new pocket prairie near the entrance sign
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Invasive Species Management
Removed Thousands of invasive plants with the help of community members. Persistent invaders include: Garlic Mustard, Dames Rocket, Buckthorn, Oriental Bittersweet, and Honeysuckle.
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Education & Community Engagement
Facilitated community work and learn days, guided bird and plant hikes, several community partnerships and presence at events and meetings.
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Erosion Control
Planted Dune grass and rerouted the trails along Lake Michigan to prevent erosion, preserve trail integrity, and encourage good water quality.
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Infrastructure Development
Work on trail building and maintenance, with plans for more benches, improved signage, repairing amphitheater, and stairs to the beach.
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Partnerships
Collaborate with community groups and nonprofits including Surfrider Foundation and the Shorewood Foundation to amplify our impact.
“It’s more important than ever to protect these spaces where people can escape for a bit and have the chance to commune with nature.”
— Moya Mowbray, Member, Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve
Support our work
Help us continue to care for this special place for the enjoyment of everyone. We partner with the Shorewood Foundation for donations. Please indicate that you would like your gift to be directed to the Shorewood Nature Preserve in the memo.
