Annual Christmas Tree Harvest

This holiday season, give a gift to your family and to nature! Join the Waukesha County Land Conservancy for our Annual Christmas Tree Harvest at our Calhoun Creek Prairie Preserve on Saturday, November 28th, from 10 AM to 3 PM. This preserve was once a Christmas tree farm, but we’re working to restore it to its original prairie and oak savanna ecosystem. By taking home a nonnative evergreen tree, you’re not only carrying on the tradition of choosing a Christmas tree to enjoy the holidays with - you’re also helping bring back the open skies, wildflowers, and wildlife that once thrived here. Each tree removed lets sunlight reach the soil again, encouraging native grasses, flowers, and young oaks to return.
It is a pretty special tradition: you take home a tree for your family, and the land gets a little more room to become a prairie again!
Enjoy a festive afternoon with Santa, wreath making, hot cocoa, coffee, and a bonfire while supporting conservation and thanking the volunteers who make this work possible.
Pick your perfect Christmas tree for $50 or a wreath bundle for $5! Payment accepted in person (card, cash, or check) or preorder your tree online here. We’ll have a few hand saws and twine ready, but bringing your own will make the experience even easier. Our amazing volunteers will be nearby to lend a hand and help make your harvest merry and bright.

***This year, we’re grateful to partner with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization whose volunteers will help remove trees while gaining hands-on training in chainsaw cutting, tree removal, and hauling for future disaster relief efforts.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of their free cutting and hauling services when selecting your tree! Choose a tree of any size and have it topped to fit your home. Take home the top as your Christmas tree while Team Rubicon removes the remaining tree to support habitat restoration at Calhoun Creek Prairie Preserve.
This partnership helps Team Rubicon prepare to serve communities in need while directly supporting local prairie restoration.
***This year is extra merry and bright as we welcome back North Pillar Brewing for a full day of festive fun! Stop by to enjoy delicious drinks, including hot cocoa, while gathering around the bonfire and celebrating the season with friends and family.
We’re also excited to welcome the Waukesha Choral Union to the preserve from 2 to 3 PM for an hour of beautiful holiday carols. As their festive carols drift through the evergreens, we’ll be celebrating something truly special - transforming an old Christmas tree farm back into a thriving prairie ecosystem!
No purchase is necessary. Everyone is welcome to join the festivities and enjoy the fun, even if you don’t take a tree home.