Do you remember your childhood experiences with nature? Maybe you had a creek or pond that you could stomp around in, catching frogs and crayfish and getting muddy. Perhaps you and your best friend made dandelion chains in the field behind your school. You may remember catching fireflies in the backyard, or imagining shapes in the clouds while lying in a grassy field. The Ridges is partnering with the Door County YMCA to offer “No Family Left Inside” a series of programs designed to provide these same experiences, and many more, to parents and children who want to explore Door County. Each month, we will offer fun activities to give your family more “outdoor time” and learn some things about nature, too!
All programs will be held at The Ridges Sanctuary, but please register with the Northern Door YMCA in Fish Creek (920-868-3660). Fee for each program is $10 per family.
Geocaching
Saturday, February 13, 10:00 AM - 12 noon
Geocaching has been described as a “high-tech treasure hunt.” After discussing what geocaching is, how it got started, and some of the tips and tricks, you’ll head into the woods to seek out a cache hidden within The Ridges Sanctuary. A few GPS units will be available for use during the session, but bring yours along if you have one.
Wander the Woods After Dark
Friday, March 12, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Have you ever explored the outdoors at night? Too scary? On this hike, you’ll discover that night explorations can be great fun, and not at all frightening. We’ll learn about nighttime animals and their adaptations, call owls, and finish with a bonfire and s’mores. Bring a small flashlight if you’d like.
Signs of Spring Birds, Bugs and Buds
Saturday, April 17, 10:00 AM - 12 noon
Be the first to find a sign of Spring. Look high and low and in-between to catch the creatures and plants as they come out of their winter sleep. Watch for the first birds, listen for the quack of the first wood frogs, or dig in the leaf litter for scurrying bugs as they welcome warmer weather.
Meet at Marshal Cabin, next to Nature Center (8288 Hwy Q, Baileys Harbor)
It’s amazing how much is going in nature this time of year! Join Naturalist Karen Newbern as we explore the frozen tundra of The Ridges on snowshoes. New sites each week. Some loaner snowshoes are available; call ahead to reserve. Dress for the weather. If there’s no snow, we’ll hike anyway. $5/adult, no charge for children under 18.
The Chicago Sun-Times (December 6, 2009) included an article on Snowshoeing in Door County and specifically at The Ridges! Click here to read the full article.
At the close of our pioneer season in stream monitoring, I whole-heartedly thank each and everyone for their interest (in putting on rubber boots and head nets), and dedication (to retrieving data, while some days in the rain it was a challenge)!
We are so pleased with how things panned out! So, we are looking for some feedback on how you feel things went. Just check out our data (Search by County = Door and click on “Select all parameters”)! I feel that everyone’s strong interest is something that will make this program soar in the years to come. It is strong organizations like The Ridges Sanctuary that develop the community leadership around our most vital resources. For instance, it was RiverEdge Nature Center that helped develop the monitoring model that we now use in the WAV program around the state.
I feel that we are definitely on the right track with knowing the waterways of our neighborhood. Although it may not seem like much, this first set of data will be very significant in years to come. As we grow accustomed to consistent procedure next year, I want to make sure that you are enjoying your experience as well. I suggest if you have a particular curiosity, act on it and take notes on that particular thing, whether it be bird migrations, phenological change at your site, a peculiar clump of wildflowers, etc.
Many thanks to everyone for your time, energy, and interest! You might not guess it now, but in years to come this first set of baseline data will be incredibly valuable! I found all of your inquiries and curiosity incredibly wonderful. Watching how each of you discovered the system you were monitoring was so exciting for me. I was glad to have been a part of making scientists out of each of you! (And for those of you that are already, I thoroughly enjoyed your conversations and applications to our monitoring model.) Thank you all for all of the valuable things you taught me this season.
You did a wonderful job!
Marne Kaeske
Volunteer Stream Monitoring Coordinator
The Ridges Sanctuary
When: Naturalist-guided hikes through the Sanctuary are scheduled regularly from mid-May through mid-October. No preregistration is required. Check our calendar for dates and times.
Cost: $7 per adult, free for children under 18.
Ridges naturalist with group
Where: Hikes begin at the Ridges Nature Center, 8288 Hwy Q, Baileys Harbor (map).
Note: Guided hikes can be arranged for groups at any time of the year. Please contact the Sanctuary for information.
Do you remember your childhood experiences with nature? Maybe you had a creek or pond that you could stomp around in, catching frogs and crayfish and getting muddy. Perhaps you and your best friend made dandelion chains in the field behind your school. You may remember catching fireflies in the backyard, or imagining shapes in the clouds while lying in a grassy field. The Ridges is partnering with the Door County YMCA to offer “No Family Left Inside” a series of programs designed to provide these same experiences, and many more, to parents and children who want to explore Door County. Each month, we will offer fun activities to give your family more “outdoor time” and learn some things about nature, too!
Wander the Woods After Dark
Enjoy these books from our Wild Places young naturalists!