Love of Wild Lands Prompts Challenge Gift for Conservation

David Warner was a lover of nature and wished to protect it. He took up guitar and spent many hours practicing outdoors.

A Fall Matching Gift Challenge has been launched for the Door County Land Trust’s 2025 Conservation and Stewardship Campaign to support the completion of a remarkable 15 land protection projects this year.  
 

The Warner family’s generous matching gift in memory of beloved husband and father, David, amplifies the efforts of individual donors two-fold, doubling every donation that comes in through the end of 2025.   
 
David’s life was tragically cut short and though his time was briefer than hoped, his days were filled with joy, meaning, and deep appreciation for the lands and waters of Door County. The Warner’s $200,000 matching challenge gift honors David’s legacy while encouraging others to support the continued protection and expansion of the wild spaces he cherished.   
  
David was deeply enriched by the natural beauty of Door County and found ways throughout his life to honor the wild places he adored. “David had a quiet but profound way of connecting to the world around him,” said his family. “Whether sailing, walking, or playing music in the parks, he was seeking to understand the beauty and meaning of the places he loved. This gift is a way to carry that spirit forward.”  
 
DCLT will use the Warner’s gift to fund multiple conservation projects currently underway across the peninsula and islands. The Warner’s generous matching gift is nothing short of transformational. Matching gifts like the Warner’s are what catalyze land protection and help it sustain and thrive in uncertain times.  
 

With recent cuts to state and federal grant programs, the timing of this matching challenge holds great promise for conservation projects. Executive Director Emily Wood said, “In conservation, there is no question that we have entered a period of profound challenge where the tools we have relied on to do conservation work are evaporating and the need for transformational efforts has never been greater.” 

Three Springs Nature Preserve is a place David loved to visit. 

The Warner’s matching gift to honor David and the wild lands he loved, doubles the impact of donations made to the Door County Land Trust, helping to preserve existing natural areas and to expand the number of lands protected for future generations. The Warner family hopes this gift will encourage others to explore, protect, care for, and honor the wild places that inspire and delight all who find themselves inextricably connected to Door County.   
 

To make a gift to help meet the Warner’s matching challenge, visit www.DoorCountyLandTrust.org/WarnerChallenge or call (920)746-1359. Donations to match the Warner Challenge will help fund 2025 conservation and stewardship projects.