Join us for a one-of-a-kind day inspired by Björklunden’s renowned seminar experience—where curiosity leads and everyone has a place in the conversation. Events are free; lunch options available for a fee. Picnics welcome. BYO blanket or lawn chair for the concert.

The Boynton Festival celebrates what makes Björklunden extraordinary: a sanctuary built around ideas. Throughout the day, you’ll explore new subjects, connect with others, and enjoy music, art, food, and the natural beauty of Door County.

Hosted by the Friends of Björklunden, this immersive festival welcomes alumni, friends, families, and first-time visitors alike.

Choose your own adventure.

Join us for part of the day or stay for the full celebration. Please note that space in select sessions is limited, so register early.

Boynton Festival​: Schedule for the Day​

​

8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Registration & Directions  South Entry ​​

8:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Welcome, coffee & treats  Great Room deck 

9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.  Mini-Seminars  see details below​

12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Lunch  Chapel Lawn & in Great Room ​

12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Music: The Water Street Hot Shots Chapel Lawn

1:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m. ​Chapel dedication  Boynton Chapel ​

2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Program and Awards  Vail Hall ​

1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Mini-Seminar: Hike  Great Room deck ​

2:00 pm Art Auction – bidding closes  South Foyer      ​

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Celebration Toast & Cookies  Great Room ​

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Art Auction pick-up 2nd floor ​ Multi-purpose room​

5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Door Shakespeare presents The Importance of Being Earnest Björklunden Garden 

Boynton Festival Mini-Seminar Schedule

9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.

The Science of Coffee with Alison Fleshman

Location: Björklunden Lodge, Lakeside Seminar Room

So how much science is in that perfect cup of morning joe? Join me as we explore how we get from bean to brew through water chemistry, grind size, and how roasting/steeping/temperature and your barista really do play a role in that wonderful final cup. So grab a cup of coffee and let’s dive into the science of that glorious morning elixir.  

PRESENTER BIO:  I am a physical chemist at �������ý��Ƶ who loves sharing my passion for physics, chemistry, and math with my students. I teach courses including Quantum Chemistry & Spectroscopy and Thermodynamics & Reaction Kinetics, and my research explores ion motion in ionic liquids to better understand and design materials for advanced batteries. I also study pigments in medieval manuscripts using non-destructive spectroscopy, bring that work into my Chemistry of Art course, and enjoy brewing beer, practicing yoga, and playing cello in my spare time.

9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.

Faith Builds a Chapel Revisited with Sue Pappas ’69

Location: Boynton Chapel.

Winifred Boynton’s stunningly illustrated book is subtitled “The Story of an Adventure in Craftsmanship” and it chronicles the origin, development and fulfillment of her vision for a personal chapel. She describes the nine years of learning, faith and labor involved, and serves as a detailed guide to her choices of religious imagery in the carvings and frescoes. This mini-seminar will introduce you to Winifred’s book and a deeper experience of her chapel.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

An Ecological Adventure Through Björklunden’s Conservation Easement Lands with Drew Reinke, Jane Whitney, and Paige Witek 

This guided hike is offered with the Door County Land Trust. Sturdy shoes, a hat and long pants are recommended. Bring sunscreen, bug spray and water.

Location: Meet in Björklunden Lodge Great Room

Discover the natural beauty of Björklunden on a hike along the scenic shores of Lake Michigan. As we explore the wooded trails and shoreline of the �������ý��Ƶ campus, participants will learn about the area’s diverse forests, unique ecosystems, and fascinating geological history. The hike will also highlight how a conservation easement with the Door County Land Trust is helping protect the property’s natural character and ecological integrity for generations to come. Join us for an inspiring outdoor experience that blends conservation, exploration, and education to celebrate the enduring beauty of Door County.

HIKE GUIDE BIO: Drew is the Senior Conservation Easement Manager for the Door County Land Trust. Drew works with private landowners to acquire new conservation easement properties and steward existing properties. A Wisconsin native, Drew spent 7 years working in the Pacific Northwest, 5 years at the Inland Northwest Land Trust in Spokane, WA. He holds a Master of Natural Resources degree from the University of Idaho, a Natural Resource Management degree from UW-Stevens Point and a Master Fly Fishing Certification from his golden retriever friend.  

HIKE GUIDE BIO: Jane grew up on the coast of Massachusetts, went to college on the prairies of Iowa, raised a family and worked as a librarian among the Baraboo Bluffs, and became a self-taught naturalist on the shore of Lake Michigan. Jane has been providing Land Trust and Björklunden nature tours for many years.

HIKE GUIDE BIO:  Paige joined the Door County Land Trust as Community Conservation Specialist in 2023.  She has a strong passion for environmental education and connecting people to nature and serves to engage the community and recruit volunteers in protecting the peninsula’s land and water through ecological stewardship, education, and research.  Paige grew up in Green Bay and graduated from UW – Madison with a Bachelor of Science in zoology and a certificate in environmental studies. Before joining the Land Trust, Paige spent five years in Missouri working as an education and outreach coordinator.

10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

The Poetry of Steel: Violence, Verse, and Verisimilitude in Shakespearean Performance with Ryan Schabach and Lexi Praxl

Presented with Door Shakespeare

Location: Boynton Garden – Door Shakespeare Performance Area

This lecture-demonstration explores how Shakespeare’s verse drives moments of staged conflict and how actors and directors translate language into physical action. Through live performance and practical demonstration, participants will examine how rhythm and text generate violence, how staged combat creates the illusion of danger while ensuring safety, and how weapons shape character and story.

PRESENTER BIO: Ryan is a theatre artist and educator whose work spans performance, directing, design, fight choreography, videography, and teaching, with a focus on movement-based storytelling and ensemble creation. A longtime company member with Door Shakespeare, Ryan’s work includes collaborations with Milwaukee Rep, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Next Act Theatre, Forward Theatre Company, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage, 6th Street Playhouse, and Third Avenue PlayWorks, among others.

PRESENTER BIO:  Lexi is a theatre artist and administrator from northwest Indiana. She completed her theatre education at �������ý��Ƶ and recently earned a Master’s in Translation Studies from Durham University. Her work includes box office positions with Door Shakespeare and the Assembly Rooms Theatre, as well as serving as a theatre critic at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and performing at Shakespeare’s Globe. Lexi brings additional expertise in stage combat through her training as a competitive fencer.

10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

The Faithful Beauty of the Stars with Associate Professor of Physics Megan Pickett

On a clear, moonless summer sky at Björklunden, you can see more than a thousand stars.  These stars—and the planets and the Moon and the Milky Way—have carried the stories of every human who has lived underneath them.  In this workshop, we will explore the constellations that have brought meaning to the night sky, and the wondrous astronomical gems hidden in them that tell us about our own cosmic origins.

Location: Björklunden Lodge, Vail Hall

PRESENTER BIO:  Megan is an astrophysicist and Physics professor at �������ý��Ƶ. She joined the university in 2006, making history as the first woman to earn tenure in the physics department. Known for her passionate and engaging teaching style, Pickett was recognized with the �������ý��Ƶ Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023. She has taught the popular Science of Superheroes course and regularly redesigns introductory physics curriculums to be more accessible. Her primary research focuses on the formation of solar systems, the origins of the universe, and galaxy formation. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Indiana University. 

10:00 a.m. – 11:50 p.m.

Nature Remix: Art & the Boreal Forest with Jill Newman

This is a 110 minute seminar designed for ages 7 and up and may be attended by children with an adult, independent young participants, or adults attending on their own.

Location: Björklunden Lodge, North Seminar Room 

Explore Björklunden lakeside boreal forest through deep looking, conversation, and a scavenger hunt designed to sharpen observation and curiosity about the natural world. Participants will then create mixed-media landscapes inspired by the expedition using both traditional art materials and recycled objects. Together, we will create imaginative celebrations of nature while exploring ways artists can reduce material waste and care for the environment. 

PRESENTER BIO:  Jill is an artist educator with nearly 30 years of teaching experience spanning preschool through graduate school, including collegiate teaching and community-based arts teaching through organizations such as PenArt. Her work engages painting, drawing, collage, and interdisciplinary environmental arts programming. Across all of her work she is guided by a belief in curiosity, collaboration, and the transformative power of the arts.

11:00 a.m. – 11:50 p.m.

How Land Trusts are Protecting Door County’s Landscapes for Future Generations with Emily Wood

Offered with the Door County Land Trust.

Location: Björklunden Lodge, Vail Hall

Door County, Wisconsin is home to some of the Midwest’s most unique shorelines, forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats, making land conservation essential to preserving the region’s natural beauty and ecological health. Learn about conservation and how land trusts like the Door County Land Trust play a vital role by permanently protecting natural areas, restoring habitats, and partnering with communities and landowners to conserve open space. Through education, stewardship, and conservation easements—such as the one established by �������ý��Ƶ on the Björklunden campus—these efforts help preserve the character, environmental sustainability, and natural heritage that make Door County such a treasured destination. 

PRESENTER BIO: Emily is the Executive Director of the Door County Land Trust, where she leads the protection and stewardship of more than 10,000 acres of critical habitat.  She holds a degree in Wildlife Biology from Ball State University and has extensive experience in conservation leadership and environmental policy. In 2025, she was recognized as a Lake Michigan Champion of Conservation by the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership.

11:00 a.m. – 11:50 p.m.

A Tour of the Most Enduring Beer Styles with Bobby Fleshman

Offered with McFleshman’s Brewing Co. Appleton, Wisconsin

Location: Björklunden Lodge, Lakeside Seminar Room

Beer evolved from our ancestors’ practice of fermenting sugars wherever they could find them as hunter-gatherers.  Eventually they cultivated grasses, which in turn were used to make beer and bread.   A fascinating arc of over 10,000 years led to our modern society and communal spaces such as the Irish pub and German beer garden.  We will walk through some of the most loved beer styles together and learn how the water, climate, and traditions led to their long term adoption.

PRESENTER BIO:  Bobby holds a PhD in Astrophysics, and worked as a NASA researcher on the Cassini mission to Saturn. He has since shifted industries and, with his wife, Allison McCoy, opened McFleshman’s Brewing Co. (Appleton, WI) in 2018. McFleshman’s places great emphasis on the community created by the classic pubs and beer gardens.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

An Ecological Adventure Through Björklunden’s Conservation Easement Lands with Drew Reinke, Jane Whitney, and Paige Witek 

This guided hike is offered with the Door County Land Trust. Sturdy shoes, a hat and long pants are recommended. Bring sunscreen, bug spray and water.

Location: Meet in Björklunden Lodge Great Room

Discover the natural beauty of Björklunden on a hike along the scenic shores of Lake Michigan. As we explore the wooded trails and shoreline of the �������ý��Ƶ campus, participants will learn about the area’s diverse forests, unique ecosystems, and fascinating geological history. The hike will also highlight how a conservation easement with the Door County Land Trust is helping protect the property’s natural character and ecological integrity for generations to come. Join us for an inspiring outdoor experience that blends conservation, exploration, and education to celebrate the enduring beauty of Door County.

HIKE GUIDE BIO: Drew is the Senior Conservation Easement Manager for the Door County Land Trust. Drew works with private landowners to acquire new conservation easement properties and steward existing properties. A Wisconsin native, Drew spent 7 years working in the Pacific Northwest, 5 years at the Inland Northwest Land Trust in Spokane, WA. He holds a Master of Natural Resources degree from the University of Idaho, a Natural Resource Management degree from UW-Stevens Point and a Master Fly Fishing Certification from his golden retriever friend.  

HIKE GUIDE BIO: Jane grew up on the coast of Massachusetts, went to college on the prairies of Iowa, raised a family and worked as a librarian among the Baraboo Bluffs, and became a self-taught naturalist on the shore of Lake Michigan. Jane has been providing Land Trust and Björklunden nature tours for many years.

HIKE GUIDE BIO:  Paige joined the Door County Land Trust as Community Conservation Specialist in 2023.  She has a strong passion for environmental education and connecting people to nature and serves to engage the community and recruit volunteers in protecting the peninsula’s land and water through ecological stewardship, education, and research.  Paige grew up in Green Bay and graduated from UW – Madison with a Bachelor of Science in zoology and a certificate in environmental studies. Before joining the Land Trust, Paige spent five years in Missouri working as an education and outreach coordinator.

How easy was it for you to connect with seminar participants during the first few summer sessions?

From the very beginning it has been easy to connect with seminar participants.�� They are warm, curious, and enthusiastic about learning.�� For me, the real challenge was figuring out how much we can really do in one week.�� My first seminar was on Dostoevsky.�� I called our session��The Idiot, for the novel we were reading.�� We all had name tags.�� Mine read “Peter Thomas,��The Idiot.”�� That was fitting because I assigned a 600-page novel of material that is not��exactly beach reading.�� I’ve since learned to better gauge the reading I ask participants to do before our session and during the week.��

I think my sessions have a reputation for being rather hard-core; people show up having read everything I asked or even suggested. Our seminars are very much discussion-based, so anyone who wants to spend a week talking about Russian culture is welcome. We do a lot of reading aloud during the week.�� That has been an evolving part of my seminars.�� I’m really excited about how much fun it is and how much more we get out of the texts.

How would you compare older lifelong learners with your on-campus students?

University students have reasonable concerns about grades and their prospects for the future.�� In many cases, I have to teach them basic study and time-management skills that have nothing to do with the materials, but if I don’t teach them those things, they will learn much less. These students have relatively little experience in life, and for the most part their experiences are similar to each other’s. A big part of what I have to teach them is that: life and the world are much, much bigger and more complicated than they suspect.�� That is enjoyable, so long as the student (and family) are on board. With summer participants, I am the inexperienced one in the room.�� I am fairly certain that I learn as much each summer as they do. Participants bring such a wide range of skills, talents, and experiences to our sessions that my job is to just facilitate a conversation around whatever we are working on at the time.�� When I have done my job in choosing a good topic, the course takes on a life of its own. And I don’t have to grade anything or anyone.

Was it challenging to get us to refrain from discussing current political events all the time?

Russian politics is always a part of the discussion, and that is to be expected. Conversations about politics in the US tend to be a part of conversations over meals, but not always.�� The materials we work on have a lot to say about how people treat each other and the world we share.�� I am careful not to let the conversation derail for political reasons. That is much easier to do with seminar participants than with university students.��

Do you cover political history? Why or why not?

I have taught two seminars on political history in Russia. I would certainly do so again.�� Speaking honestly, for many years now I have left the topic of the next year’s seminar to the participants in the current one.�� I trust them to choose topics that will attract new participants.����

Do you wish participants had better geographical background?

No. Figuring out how to capture the topography, flora, fauna, and meteorology of whatever region we are working on is a part of the fun. I do wish that I had a strong geographical background.�� Some of my regular participants are incredibly well-travelled and have been to places I have only seen online.

What seminar topic have you enjoyed presenting the most?

I have never had a seminar that didn’t feel like my favorite while I was teaching it. I love teaching “The Russian Short Story.” I’ve taught Pushkin’s��Eugene Onegin and Tolstoy’s��Anna Karenina��twice, and each time was a revelation for me. The sessions on Gogol, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Aleksievich, and Putin were challenging and invigorating.�� Last summer’s class on film and literature was so much fun that it felt like I was a student, not the teacher. This summer, in response to a story and film from last summer, we are reading Chekhov, one of my favorite authors.�� I cannot wait to prepare that class.

Plans are being created to do a “Great Books” program during the 2027 summer featuring three Freshman Studies books taught over the years and you have been asked to participate. Can you share some of the preliminary plans?��

This is a team-taught course called “The Long Novel” that Professor Dominica Chang of French, Professor Tim Spurgin of English, and I have taught at �������ý��Ƶ four times now.�� The central problem of the class is thinking about how the different traditions in European literature of the nineteenth century represent the challenges of modernity. The first three times we taught the course, we read Charles Dickens’��David Copperfield, Gustave Flaubert’s��Sentimental Education, and Fyodor Dostoevsky’s��The Brothers Karamazov. We are just completing our first run through a new version that features Flaubert’s��Madame Bovary, Lev Tolstoy’s��Anna Karenina, and Thomas Hardy’s��Tess of the D’Urbervilles. The key to this class is that all three of us are at every discussion, and we each take one session as lead instructor for the books that are outside of our own field. The other key is that these are��long and complicated novels. We are talking about how we would create a two-week class with the same or similar authors and the same topics, but with fewer than 1700 pages of reading. A challenge!

Preserving the sanctuary��

Björklunden vid Sjön (Swedish for Birch Grove by the Lake) was purchased in 1928 by Winifred and her first husband, Carleton Vail, as a summertime family retreat. Following Carleton’s death, Winifred spent time in Norway and wanted to bring a bit of it home.

After Winifred remarried, work began on building a chapel on the property modeled on a medieval stave church she had visited in Lillehammer, Norway. From 1939 to 1947, Winifred and her second husband, Donald Boynton, painstakingly added many beautiful details to the chapel, including 41 handpainted frescoes and its memorable carved wood altar, baptismal font, and other furnishings—a story she recounts in her book, Faith Builds a Chapel: The Story of an Adventure in Craftsmanship.��

Donald and Winifred Boynton bequeathed the property to �������ý��Ƶ in 1963 with the vision of preserving the site as a “sanctuary for all” and a place for peace and contemplation. They retained tenancy of the property during their lifetime.

After the Boyntons passed away �������ý��Ƶ began its stewardship of the property in 1975; seminar programming began in 1980. However, an August 1993 electrical fire that gutted the original home led LU leaders to reevaluate their use the property.��

�������ý��Ƶ’s president at that time, Richard Warch, recognized that Björklunden was a “once in an institution’s history gift” and that it needed to be incorporated into the full academic life of the university.��

In the aftermath of the fire, construction of a beautiful 37,000-square-foot lodge with guest rooms and dining and meeting spaces transformed Björklunden into the learning destination it is today.

Nourishing mind and spirit��

Björklunden offers �������ý��Ƶ students space to retreat and focus. On weekends throughout the academic year, nearly 1,500 students have opportunities to join mentors and peers in group retreats focused on an aspect of their academic interests, athletic pursuits, or student life experiences.��

Additionally, Björklunden seminar program provides a vacation with a purpose for the general public, offering an array of three- and five-day learning opportunities for its public summer season, ranging from the arts and movies to history and science. Online seminars are also available on selected topics.��

As the founder of the program, Joe Hopfensperger, wrote: “Here people join together to share the human experience … to nourish mind and spirit.”

A living learning laboratory

Looking to the future, Björklunden has launched its net zero initiative with the creation of wind and solar energy infrastructure and research into the carbon sequestration of the vast forest of the property.��

This remarkable endeavor offers unique learning opportunities for �������ý��Ƶ students while also helping to ensure Björklunden’s future by reducing energy costs and making positive contributions to the natural environment through carbon recapture.��

Today, 390 acres of the property are protected under a permanent conservation easement with the Door County Land Trust.

50 years and beyond

Since 1975, the north campus has grown to be an essential part of the �������ý��Ƶ experience, a destination for lifelong learners, and a blessing to the broader local community through music, theatre, performance, and other public events.��

�������ý��Ƶ half of Björklunden’s annual budget comes from seminar program fees and one quarter comes from donations to support �������ý��Ƶ student retreats and to maintain the grounds and buildings.��

To participate in maintaining this �������ý��Ƶ treasure, please consider making a gift. Anyone who donates and/or volunteers becomes a . Those giving $500 or more are Boynton Society-level donors, which allows them early registration for the seminar program.

It’s the unique quality of experiences that has made traveling to��Björklunden��a “must do” each summer. Treasured memories of exemplary teachers who were so stimulating that it was sometimes difficult to break for lunch.��

My first classes were Dale Duesing’s opera classes. Residents filled the lodge for the week he was there each summer,�� and their numbers were boosted by commuters. One learned to enroll as soon as class registration opened or else miss the opportunity. Vail Hall was filled as participants listened to music and enjoyed Dale’s anecdotes about singing with major opera stars of the twentieth century. As newcomers to the��Björklunden��seminars, we were in awe of the experience.��

Later, I spent several summers in a week’s class with Jane Schulenburg learning more about medieval history. Her knowledge was deep and broad and presentations combined lectures, constant visuals and valued handouts. The notebooks from Jane’s classes and several shelves of books she recommended are still providing information and pleasure. We shared a love of embroidery and its meaning in the lives of women throughout history.��

Music and medieval studies had been interests since my high school days. However, it was from curiosity and lack of understanding of a culture different from mine that led me to take a class from Peter Thomas, reading a book of short stories by Russian authors. The class was small and enthusiastic, reading closely and discussing deeply. For me, it exemplified what I call the liberal arts mode of inquiry and my brain caught fire. Book shelves filled rapidly. There are a number of us from that first class who return each summer for another deep dive into reading and, more recently, the related films. Each year we benefit from Peter’s love of and enthusiasm for Russian literature and his delight in sharing his insights.��

As I leave each summer, I look forward to returning for the friendships, life expanding stimulation and the “soul food” of the beautiful forest by the lake.

For too many years, family commitments kept me from attending any of the tempting offerings at��Björklunden. But this past July, when I was finally able (and with the gentle prodding of my college roommate, Sue Pappas – LU’69), I signed up for the Door Four seminar. And I will be forever grateful for the experience.��

The four plays we saw at Door County theatres were thrilling and engaging. And our fabulous leader, Dan Klarer, not only prepared us before each performance, but the next day, led us – skillfully, carefully, intelligently, and respectfully – through a critique of what we had seen. Though theatre has been a lifelong hobby for me (some sixty years on stage, backstage, in the audience), others in our class came from many different backgrounds, careers, and theatre experiences. Dan not only encouraged us to share our thoughts, but wove all our insights together, giving us a deeper and richer understanding of each play.��

But there is an added bonus outside of the classroom, and that is in the “cross-pollination” from other seminars. All participants would meet for lunch (gourmet, I might add) when class was over. And we could share stories, ideas, and curiosities about the other seminars. The net result of those conversations, coupled with the way Dan included everyone in our critiques, is that I know I would feel comfortable taking a seminar in any subject about which I knew little, just so long as it interested me. A painting class next year or exploring medieval history, perhaps something else. I was exhilarated by my first seminar experience and eager to do it again!

Pencils scratch, heads nod with enlightened looks, conversations flare, and friendships rekindle in the seminar rooms at the majestic Björklunden lodge. Our 2025 season at this sanctuary of peace and contemplation kicked off appropriately with Tim Crain’s��From Conflict to Peace: Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and Ireland, Past and Present providing a powerful example of how peace can be won out of seemingly intractable conflict. Relena Ribbons’��Adventures in Forests in Time took nature enthusiasts and advocates into the woods to peer beyond the present, into the past, and toward possible futures for these beloved and verdant environments. Nikolas Hoel’s��Saints and Sinners in the Middle Ages��made the medieval past relatable by surfacing complex moral questions that vex people then and now.��

Satisfy your passion for learning and book your vacation with purpose today at��!