The newest parcel of the Door County Land Trust is just a fraction of the size of its neighboring Three Springs Nature Preserve in Sister Bay, but you can expect it to do a lot for the area’s water quality.

The newest property acquired by the land trust is just 10 acres but includes groundwater springs that are a part of the headwaters of Three Springs. It is vital because Three Springs flows into North Bay and then moves toward Lake Michigan. Land Program Director Jesse Koyen says the new parcel’s ecological significance is high despite its size. "Protection of this property furthers the Land Trust’s goal of protecting water quality throughout Door County," Koyen said. The property also includes wetlands and an old agricultural field that can act as groundwater filtration before it flows into Three Springs. The field is also used as a breeding habitat for birds and insects.

The Three Springs Nature Preserve made news last year when the Door County Land Trust announced plans to preserve the Three Springs Barn in Sister Bay so the area's bat population has a reliable place to call home at its Halloween social on Thursday. The barn at the preserve is a maternity roost for the endangered brown bat mothers and their pups, while other farm buildings and old stone fences also provide an essential habitat for area bats.