MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6 3:00 PM

Birch Creek Music Performance Center . . . → Read More: Midsummer’s Music benefit]]> A Celebration of
the environment, human services, and the arts!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6
3:00 PM

Birch Creek Music Performance Center • Egg Harbor

Concert by Midsummer’s Music Festival
Wine & Heavy hors d’oeuvre buffet by Alexander’s
Anders Yocum from WPR as Master of Ceremonies

A benefit concert for
HELP of Door County • Midsummer’s Music • The Ridges Sanctuary

Advance Reservations required ($85/person)
Call 920-854-7088 or www.midsummerSmusic.com

Begin with a group of enthusiastic adults from all over Door County. Place in an outdoor setting and add some field guides, hand lenses and notebooks. Blend in several presentations on local geology, plant communities, wildlife and watersheds. Mix together well, and allow to interact for ten weeks. . . . → Read More: Wisconsin Naturalist Program 2010]]> A Recipe for Successful Stewards

Begin with a group of enthusiastic adults from all over Door County. Place in an outdoor setting and add some field guides, hand lenses and notebooks. Blend in several presentations on local geology, plant communities, wildlife and watersheds. Mix together well, and allow to interact for ten weeks. Yield:  a group of dedicated volunteers who are engaged in conservation and preservation efforts throughout the county.

This odd recipe describes a new program in Door County called the Wisconsin Naturalist Program. Wisconsin Naturalists are individuals who have a love for the outdoors, are interested in learning more about our natural resources, and are willing to serve as volunteer land stewards. These students attend 25 hours of classroom and outdoor learning focused on our local ecosystems. During the program, students “adopt” a natural area in which to study and apply what they have learned in the classroom. After completing their training, Wisconsin Naturalists are required to attend 8 hours of additional training and volunteer 25 hours to a local conservation organization or program.

One of the most exciting aspects of this program is seeing how volunteers become environmental stewards, demonstrating ways that we can all help protect and preserve Door County’s natural legacy and encouraging others to get involved. Some of the projects completed by Wisconsin Naturalists in the past year:

• Several Wisconsin Naturalists participated in a Hines Emerald Dragonfly survey last summer. Members assisted researchers from the University of South Dakota, checking for road-killed dragonflies along a section of County Highway Q in Baileys Harbor. The road goes through critical habitat for the federally-endangered dragonfly, and this research is helpful in determining population trends from year to year.
• Led by two Wisconsin Naturalists, third grade students at Gibraltar School explored and learned more about the outdoor classroom adjacent to their school. The students then took a field trip to compare that environment with the diverse habitats of The Ridges Sanctuary.
• Woodside Park in Sturgeon Bay is closer to being weed-free, thanks to the efforts of a Wisconsin Naturalist and the second grade classes at Sawyer School. The students learned about Garlic Mustard and how it was crowding out the wildflowers in the park which lies behind their school. Students then assisted with removing the Garlic Mustard.
• Another Wisconsin Naturalist volunteer monitors bluebird houses in Newport State Park, and leads walks to teach people about bluebirds and the conservation efforts on their behalf.

The 2010 session of Wisconsin Naturalists will begin Thursday, September 9 and run through November 11. Classroom sessions will be held from 6:00 – 8:30 PM each Thursday at Crossroads at Big Creek, Sturgeon Bay. Field trip dates are September 25 and October 23 (field trip dates are tentative). Please call or email for more information.

The Sanctuary is . . . → Read More: HIKE the BRIDGES at the RIDGES]]> The Ridges Sanctuary is a 1,600 acre pristine natural area located in Door County, Wisconsin. Formed in 1937, it’s the oldest private nature preserve in the state. The Ridges is designated as a State Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark, an Audubon Important Birding Area, and a Wisconsin Wetland Gem.

The Sanctuary is open to the public year-round, and features native wildflowers along its five miles of rustic trails and bridges. Naturalist-led tours, youth and family programs, and a weekly lecture series highlight the summer season. Snowshoe hikes and family programs are featured during January, February and March. The Nature Center featuring a wide variety of quality nature-related books and gifts, is open mid-May through mid-October. More about The Ridges Sanctuary.

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ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Year around there are activities and events happening at The Ridges. Some are educational, some are to raise money, and some are just for fun and to give back to the community. More about events at The Ridges Sanctuary.

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Education Programs

The Ridges Sanctuary is committed to the effort of educating children and adults to appreciate and connect with nature. From camps in the summer, school programs in the Fall, Winter, & Spring, to the Wisconsin Naturalist program and various workshops and guided hikes throughout the year, The Ridges strives to meet its mission of education. More on education programs at The Ridges Sanctuary.

If you have any of these you don’t need, consider donating them to The Ridges Sanctuary’s Flea Market

. . . → Read More: FLEA Market Sept 18]]> Books, Sporting Goods, Housewares, Gently Used Stuff!

If you have any of these you don’t need, consider donating them to The Ridges Sanctuary’s Flea Market

September 18
8 Am – 2 PM

Call or visit The Ridges Sanctuary Office if you have things to donate! ( (920) 839-2802 • 8270 Highway 57, Baileys Harbor WI )

No clothing or WHITE ELEPHANTS please!

We have VENDOR SPACES available!

For $20 you can purchase a 10-foot by 20-foot spot and sell all your great (but no longer needed) STUFF! You keep the proceeds!

UNDER ATTACK!

In the swales and on the ridges, new infestations of invasives are popping up. The Barberry Pirates remain vigilant in their efforts to stop the invasion. But we need MORE Pirates to be pro-active with the new threats to the Sanctuary!

Join the Barberry Pirates on Tuesday mornings . . . → Read More: Barberry Pirates]]> The  Sanctuary is

UNDER ATTACK!

In the swales and on the ridges, new infestations of invasives are popping up. The Barberry Pirates remain vigilant in their efforts to stop the invasion. But we need MORE Pirates to be pro-active with the new threats to the Sanctuary!

Join the Barberry Pirates on Tuesday mornings from 9 AM – 11:30 AM from July 13 through September. Fill in the form below to get email updates on what we are currently attacking (an email will go out on Fridays – then decide if you can make it. Come once, occasionally, or every Tuesday – whenever it fits your schedule!) (We may walk the boardwalk but never the plank!)

We’ll provide snacks and lemonade (to prevent scurvy) after the fray!

Attack the dreaded black swallow-wort, the pernicious crown vetch, as well as barberry, swamp thistle, honeysuckle, Dame’s rocket, forget-me-not, helleborine, phragmites australis, reed canary grass, teasel, knotweed, knapweed, and others we haven’t even heard of yet! Stay vigilant and keep the Sanctuary safe from invasion!

More and more invasive species are impacting Door County. To help educate and expand the overall program, . . . → Read More: DCIST is NOT Ceasing!]]> THE RIDGES SANCTUARY will be coordinating the efforts of the DCIST in Door County. Along with the knowledge of The Ridges’ staff, education programs and equipment to fight invasive species will be available to groups and individuals who need them.

More and more invasive species are impacting Door County. To help educate and expand the overall program, The Ridges Sanctuary will help the Door County Invasive Species Team by

COORDINATING:

• education programs

• scheduling workdays

• assisting landowners

Marne Kaeske, Ridges’ Stewardship Coordinator, will coordinate the DCIST effort but the entire Ridges’ staff plus the many contractors now licensed to control invasive species are here to help you.

SITE VISITS: To help you with control of invasive species, we can come to your property for a site visit to identify native and non-native species, to assess what has been done and help develop an action plan.

ACTION: Contact The Ridges (920) 839-2802 – to update us on your efforts or concerns by May 1 so we can better plan the upcoming season.

UPDATES: Workdays and education programs will be posted on the DCIST website. http://map.co.door.wi.us/swcd/invasive/default.htm

VOLUNTEER HOURS: Any hours you work on invasive species in Door County, will help toward the requirements of our DCIST grant.
Individual Volunteer Hours log sheet
Work Party Volunteer Hours log sheet
Send to The Ridges Sanctuary • PO Box 152 • Baileys Harbor WI 54202.

CONTACT: Call (920) 839-2802 or email: marne@RidgesSanctuary.org to schedule a site visit, workday, or tell us what kind of education programs you would like.

Email Marketing . . . → Read More: DCIST]]> If you are interested in receiving updates about invasive species efforts in Door County. Click on the sign up button below.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery of Door County as you help support The Ridges Sanctuary’s education programs

To sign up or find more information  go . . . → Read More: Ride for Nature]]> June 18, 2011

Door County’s
23rd Annual Ride for Nature
with a CENTURY ride

100 mile century | 50 mile | 25 mile | 15 mile family ride

Enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery of Door County as you help support The Ridges Sanctuary’s education programs

To sign up or find more information  go to: RideForNature.com

The Ridges Sanctuary recently closed on 3 additional parcels of land, totaling 53 acres. All are adjacent to property already owned by the Sanctuary, and will help to protect the watershed which feeds into the swales and Lake Michigan. Funding for these purchases was provided through the Wisconsin Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the U.S. Fish and . . . → Read More: New Land Acquisitions]]>

The Ridges Sanctuary recently closed on 3 additional parcels of land, totaling 53 acres. All are adjacent to property already owned by the Sanctuary, and will help to protect the watershed which feeds into the swales and Lake Michigan. Funding for these purchases was provided through the Wisconsin Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Wetland grant program. Ridges members, through their generous contributions to our Land Fund, also helped to make these acquisitions possible.