The Clearing Folk School, usually called just The Clearing, is a

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United ...

institution located near

Ellison Bay, Wisconsin Ellison Bay is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in northern Door County, Wisconsin, United States, within the town of Liberty Grove and is located on Highway 42 along the Green Bay. As of the 2020 census, its population i ...

, United States. It was founded by

Jens Jensen Jens Jensen may refer to: * Jens Jensen (footballer) (1890–1957), Danish football (soccer) player who played one game for the Denmark national football team * Jens Jensen (landscape architect) (1860–1951), Danish-born landscape architect in Chi ...

in 1935. A successful

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manageme ...

, Jensen began acquiring a private summer estate in 1919; the estate, re-landscaped by Jensen, became the nucleus of the school. Jensen was inspired by the

folk high school Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;'' ...

s of his native

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

History

Jensen lived in ''The Clearing'' as a widower from 1935 until 1951. After his death, The Clearing was operated by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau for 37 years as a rural retreat, conference center, and continuing-education institution. Following The Clearing's independence as a

nonprofit corporation A nonprofit corporation is any legal entity which has been incorporated under the law of its jurisdiction for purposes other than making profits for its owners or shareholders. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, a nonprofit corporation may ...

in 1988, The Clearing has continued to fulfill these roles, with a concentration on adult education and as a meeting place for

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

s. The Clearing describes itself as a place for "classes in natural sciences, fine arts, skilled crafts and humanities." The Clearing's emphasis on "regional ecology" is seen as providing continuity with founder Jensen's own aspirations and beliefs.

Current status

The appreciation of "regional ecology" from a landscape perspective, a focus of continuing education at The Clearing, has helped to drive the emerging professions of

landscape ecology Landscape ecology is the science of studying and improving relationships between ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems. This is done within a variety of landscape scales, development spatial patterns, and organizati ...

and

spatial ecology Spatial ecology studies the ultimate distributional or spatial unit occupied by a species. In a particular habitat shared by several species, each of the species is usually confined to its own microhabitat or spatial niche because two species in ...

. As of 2012, the Clearing offers classwork throughout the year, except for March, April, and December. Day-to-week-length appreciation classes center on collective learning through discussion, conversation, and hands-on work. During the high season (May–October), the folk school specializes in weeklong appreciation classes; in November, January, and February, day classes and daylong workshops can be experienced. (Archived May 3, 2015) The Clearing Folk School was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on December 31, 1974 as site #74000080.

People connected with The Clearing

Norbert Blei Norbert Blei (August 23, 1935 – April 23, 2013) was an American writer of non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. In 1994, he established Cross+Roads Press, dedicated to the publication of first chapbooks by poets, short story writers, novelists and ...

, longtime writer in residence *

, founder

References

External links

*
Jensen Will Open School of Nature

continued
''Door County Advocate'', Volume 74, Number 14, June 14, 1935 {{DEFAULTSORT:Clearing Folk School Buildings and structures in Door County, Wisconsin Historic American Landscapes Survey in Wisconsin School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin National Register of Historic Places in Door County, Wisconsin Education in Door County, Wisconsin