Welcome back Spring! The Annual Trillium Festival hosted by Cooper Hansen Nature Photography and the West Coast of Wisconsin is an educational event for the whole community that celebrates the season of renewal in the forest and beyond.

This popular spring event will take place over two days in 2024, Saturday May, 11 and Sunday May 12.

The Annual Trillium Festival celebrates the return of the Trillium, an early-season perennial native to our local forests. This beautiful white flower awakens each year in late April and early May, and slowly turns to a reddish-purple by mid to late May, making it a wonderful beginning to the spring wildflower season.

Trillium Festival 2024 Activities:

• Self Driving Trillium Viewing Tour

• Creekside Walking Trail With Naturalist

• Native Plant Sale

• Music & Sound Meditation Events

• Habitat-Friendly Gardening Resources

• Pollinator Educational Sessions

• Birding Activities & Educational Sessions

Tom Hansen here, owner of Rustic Road Gallery - Studio & Nature Center. I am a Nature Photographer and Wisconsin Master Naturalist. My photography studio is named Cooper Hansen Nature Photography in memory of my mother who's maiden name was Cooper.

I grew up along the Mississippi River and fished / hunted both the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers extensively as a kid. In the early 1960’s I began chasing Muskies with my dad most every weekend from Hayward, Wisconsin to Ontario, Canada. Hunting, fishing and camping have always been a major part of my life. I still enjoy camping and sharing experiences around a campfire, getting out on the water with family and friends to “wet a line”, but in 2019 I traded my hunting gear for camera gear.

My interest in photography goes back to the early 1970’s when I took a couple of photography classes. I never took the time to pursue that interest until reaching retirement age when I purchased a good mirrorless camera with several “pro-quality” lenses. I now use my decades of outdoor experience to put myself in a position to capture special images of wildlife. The year-around season for photographing nature has increased both my interest and appreciation for the non-game species.

I very much enjoy sharing my nature photography with others, particularly my kids and grandkids. I hope that my work will help to increase a broader appreciation for the natural world and that it will help to encourage conservation practices that PROTECT WILD PLACES!

Discover our magical landscape of bluffs, water and quaint villages while experiencing memorable shopping, lodging, food and unforgettable events Located on the shores of Lake Pepin, one of Nature’s great works of Art! Experience the delightful Villages of Bay City, Maiden Rock, Stockholm, Pepin, and Nelson. Located on the Wisconsin Great River Road.

Mission Statement: The Trillium Festival organizer and its sponsors seek to improve bird and wildlife habitat locally and beyond by promoting the planting and protection of native plants thru “in person” education sessions at the Trillium Festival and virtually throughout the year at TrilliumFestival.org.

Save the date and make your plans now. Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, 2024 from 10:00am to 5:00pm.