Our Focus
Preservation
When The Ridges Sanctuary was established in 1937, our founders had a clear vision: To preserve the land through acquisition and stewardship and ensure that people could enjoy it forever. Today, this goal is more important than ever as we strive to safeguard the Sanctuary’s boreal forest, home to 11 species of conifers, over 60 species of birds, 475 vascular plants, and 29 species of orchids. With intensifying challenges due to climate change, it is crucial to preserve The Ridges in its natural condition with little human disturbance.
Education
Education is at the heart of everything we do at The Ridges Sanctuary. We believe that embedding learning and engagement in each of our core mission areas is essential to inspiring the conservation of Nature. In addition, our growth in early childhood and elementary programming, as well as our expanding partnerships with local public schools have established The Ridges as a leader in environmental education.
Research
The Ridges and surrounding landscapes represent one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the Midwest. To protect The Ridges, research initiatives must provide an understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics and connections to the larger landscapes or watersheds. We are committed to working as a voice for conservation action based on science, serving as a reliable partner with other research groups, and by refining our research protocols. We do this by proceeding with integrity, honesty and objectivity rooted in the scientific process.
