The Ridges Sanctuary

Sanctuary Guided Hike
2024-08-08 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-06 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-05 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-03 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-01 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-07-31 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) and 11 more dates | Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI, 54202, United States
Sanctuary Guided Hike

Join a naturalist for an exploration of The Ridges Sanctuary. We’ll head out on the trails to learn about the history of The Ridges, the unique features of the sanctuary habitats, and what makes the sanctuary the most biologically diverse area in Wisconsin! This two hour guided hike includes a tour of our Upper Range Light, which has been restored to the period of the last Range Light Keeper. Suitable for all ages.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUESTED | Public $10, Member $7, 16 & Under Free

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Logan Creek Guided Hike
2024-08-07 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-07-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Logan Creek, 5724 Loritz Road, Sturgeon Bay, WI, 54235, United States
Logan Creek Guided Hike

Explore the beautiful landscape of this 170-acre parcel on Clark Lake featuring upland hardwood forest, lowland cedar-hemlock forest and frontage along Clark Lake and Logan Creek. Moderate to easy hiking. Wear appropriate footwear and bring binoculars if desired.

Wednesdays June 5, July 3, August 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Meets at the Logan Creek Trailhead in Jacksonport, 5724 Loritz Road

Pre-registration required!

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87th Annual Meeting of The Ridges Sanctuary
2024-08-03 16:00 - 20:00 | About Thyme Farm, 8425 County Road F, Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, 54202, United States
87th Annual Meeting of The Ridges Sanctuary

You are invited to The Ridges Sanctuary Annual Meeting! Followed by a Ridges style cookout catered by Chives!

Click Here to register

To review the minutes from the 2023 Annual Meeting Click Here

2024 Board of Director Nominees

Michelle Hefty

Michelle Hefty grew up in Mt. Horab, WI and always enjoyed being outdoors, whether at her grandparent’s farms or at the family cottage outside of Hayward, WI. Although most folks expected Michelle to go into music, the woods and water were calling her in life. She attended college at UW-Stevens Point and UW-Madison where she graduated with a BS in Resource Management, specializing in Outdoor Area Management. After graduation Michelle was hired as a crew leader for the Wisconsin Conservation Corp, where she worked out of Ellsworth, WI. In 1988 she landed her dream job as a State Park Manager for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She was permanently stationed at Newport State Park in late 1989 and also took over day-to-day management and operations of Rock Island State Park in 2016. Michelle was instrumental in getting Newport State Park designated as the first internationally recognized dark sky park in Wisconsin and only the second in the Midwest. Michelle has a great appreciation and dedication to educating individuals of all ages about our natural resources and their importance to future generations.

Jone Kiefer

Jone Kiefer has a Master of Arts degree in Education from National Louis University in Chicago, an Elementary Teacher Certification from Edgewood College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development from UW-Green Bay. Jone retired with more than 25 years of experience as an educator in the Madison Metropolitan School District. She also worked as a Education Supervisor for the UW-Madison Professional Development School. She is drawn to The Ridges because it values environmental sustainability and seeks to enhance the well-being and knowledge of people who interact with nature. Jone was appointed to the Board in August of 2022 as a replacement for a board member resignation. Jone is nominated for her 1st year of a 3 year term. She is also serving as the Education Committee Chair.

Bill Lee

An early adopter of an ecological mindset and developer of new methods for strategy and rapid new product development with end users and customers, Bill Lee has assisted companies with business strategy development, innovation, and market offer development through a wide sustainability lens for over three decades. He has been awarded numerous US patents and international awards for his client work ranging from consumer packaging to high-tech electronic diagnostic equipment. His consulting clients have included entrepreneurs to small and middle market organizations to large corporations including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Hewlett Packard, Johnson Wax, McDonald’s, Motorola, Porsche and Steelcase. In 2007, Bill founded UICO, LLC, a leading developer and manufacturer of demanding environment capacitive touch screen solutions. He has served on boards for companies ranging in revenue from $25M to $200M and is the founder and principal of Brand Design, LLC, a consulting company dedicated to assisting forward thinking enterprises with strategy development, business challenges and innovation opportunities.

Mr. Lee has created and led online classes for Marlborough College, England, and taught in the United States at The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Lehigh University, and The Savannah College of Art and Design where he also served as Chair of the Design Management department for five years. For the last 3 years he has taught for Northwestern University’s online Executive Education program. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Management & Marketing in the School of Business & Economics at Carthage College, Kenosha, WI. Bill studied engineering at Syracuse University, and earned a BFA in Industrial Design from The University of Michigan and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Rick Johnson

Rick Johnson is a nationally recognized senior executive who has specialized in organizational and workforce health strategies. For over 30 years he worked with boards and senior leaders to create programs which improve organizational and individual “health”. His clients included Fortune 500 companies, public and private companies, health systems and not-for-profits. After a short stint in the NFL, Rick was Managing Director and Global Healthcare Practice Leader for Mercer Consulting Firm where he managed a $400M consulting practice. Rick’s focus now is helping environmentally impactful conservation organizations as a board member or advisor. This includes strategic planning, stakeholder(s) engagement strategies, developing Board Policies & Procedures Manuals, integrative performance review processes, facilitating collaboration/partnership opportunities with current and new organizations and focusing on major donors. Rick has a BA from Pacific Lutheran University and has done graduate work in biochemistry and nutrition. He is enrolled in the University of Chicago Graham School of Professional Studies. He has written four books on human resources and health-related initiatives.

Laura Landergott

Laura Landergott has a Master of Business Administration degree from Alverno College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Communication from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Laura has held marketing leadership roles with Northwestern Mutual, a Fortune 90 financial services company, and several privately held printing and communication firms in the Milwaukee area. In 2019, she launched Whole Growth Partners, a concierge marketing agency with a niche serving elite wealth management and financial planning firms around the country. She and her team of eight provide corporate branding, custom collateral, website development, signature client event and community sponsorship management. Laura’s expertise is in business leadership, marketing strategy and business development. Laura also serves on the board of Elmbrook Humane Society in Brookfield, WI. She lives in Baileys Harbor and Port St. Lucie, FL.

Grace Rossman

Grace Rossman was born and raised in Door County, Grace’s parents were the editors and owners of the Door Reminder, a shopper newspaper. She, with her twin brother Gerry, explored every beach and woods in and near Ellison Bay as kids. Grace studied journalism at Drake University in Des Moines where she met her husband and created three restaurants, a bakery, and catering service. The Rossman’s have lived next to the Mud Lake Wildlife Refuge near Baileys Harbor for decades. Her three daughters are Gibraltar graduates. Grace was a Certified Financial Planner for 29 years, representing Thrivent Financial in Sturgeon Bay. She has, or is currently, serving on a number of boards, including the United Way, Sunshine House, Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran, the Sturgeon Bay Noon Rotary, the Door Community Auditorium and the Door County Community Foundation. She cares very deeply about creating a strong community in which everyone can thrive and looks forward to serving the Ridges. Grace was appointed to the board in 2020 to complete the term of a resigning director.

Can’t make the Annual Meeting? You can still cast your vote for the 2024 Board of Directors by clicking this link.

Free Fridays
2024-08-02 00:00 - 23:59, 2024-07-26 00:00 - 23:59, 2024-07-19 00:00 - 23:59, 2024-07-12 00:00 - 23:59 | WI
Free Fridays

The Ridges is excited to offer Free Fridays, our new program series in which admission to the Sanctuary is FREE on Fridays in July and August! In addition to free admission to the Sanctuary trails from dawn til dusk, each Free Friday will explore a different theme of the Sanctuary,.

Activities and interactive learning experiences will be available to families with children of all ages on the Hidden Brook Boardwalk from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

7/5: Watersheds

7/12: Birds of the Boreal Forest

7/19: Conifers

7/26: Under the Swales!

8/2: Orchid Observer

8/9 Pollinators

8/16: Turtles, snakes, and amphibians, oh my!

8/23: Monarchs

8/30: Lichens

The program is made possible by 100+ Women Who Care Door County.

Stewardship Workshop Series
2024-07-25 09:00 - 11:30 | Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI, 54202, United States
Stewardship Workshop Series

You are invited to take part in The Ridges Stewardship Workshop Series. These talks will focus on local environmental issues and what landowners can do to better steward their own property. Land Manager Sam Hoffman will lead discussions and demonstrate different techniques ranging from plant identification and invasive species control to promoting diverse wildlife habitats in your own backyard.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUESTED | Public $30, Member $25

Register

Stewardship of Maritime Heritage in the Great Lakes with John Wyrostek
2024-07-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI, 54202, United States
Stewardship of Maritime Heritage in the Great Lakes with John Wyrostek

Curious about shipwrecks in the Great Lakes? Join John Wyrostek, President of Friends of Point Beach, as he details the research on the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary and the rich history and stories of the Shipwrecks of Rawley Point in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Look at and discuss shipwreck artifacts that have washed up and continue to be washed up on the shores of Point Beach from the last 160 years.

Free Event. Preregistration is requested due to limited space.

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The Ridges honors its history of accessible and impactful conservation education through Lake Lessons. These Thursday evening programs feature topics about the Great Lakes and surrounding habitats. Lake Lessons are free, and held from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm at the Cook-Fuller Nature Center

Summer/ Fall Lake Lessons:

June 20th at 6:00pm: Sucker Migration with Dr. Karen Murchie

June 25th at 6:00pm: Wilderness, Water & Rust: A Journey toward Great Lakes Resilience – Author Talk with Jane Elder

July 18th at 6:00pm: Stewardship of Maritime Heritage in the Great Lakes with John Wyrostek

August 15th at 6:00pm: Path to Fisheries Research and Management with Hickey Bros Research

Appel’s Bluff Guided Hike
2024-07-17 13:00 - 15:00 | WI
Appel’s Bluff Guided Hike

Join a naturalist to explore this varied landscape featuring ledges, a hardwood forest, and open fields. We’ll meet at the Cook – Albert Fuller Nature Center and then caravan to the trailhead. Moderate to easy hike.

Wednesdays June 19, July 17, August 21, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Meets at the Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center

Pre-registration required!

Register

Sanctuary Story Hour
2024-07-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI, 54202, United States
Sanctuary Story Hour

Bring your budding enthusiasts to our Sanctuary Story Hour! Each month you will hear a Ridges staff member read a nature-themed story at a new location in the Sanctuary. At the end of the story, make a fun nature craft to take home before heading out to explore the trails and swales! Free event.
