THANK YOU!! With your support, The Ridges has purchased the Sandpiper property in Baileys Harbor!
This will eventually be the sight of the new The Ridges Sanctuary Interpretive Center.
Thank you helping further the vision of the founders in 1937. | By cschuster, on July 8th, 2010  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 June 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! By cschuster, on April 15th, 2010 If you are interested in receiving updates about invasive species efforts in Door County. Click on the sign up button below.By knewbern, on September 11th, 2009 Phragmites australis is an aggressive, non-native grass which threatens the biological integrity of The Ridges. It spreads rapidly by underground rhizomes, very similar to species like quackgrass but much more extensive. Phragmites can form solid stands and crowd out native vegetation in large areas along shorelines and in wetlands.The Ridges has been using various measures to control the spread of this plant in the Sanctuary. More information about Phragmites can be found here. To learn more about control measures of Phragmites, download A Comparison of Phragmites australis Control Measures in Wisconsin Coastal Wetlands (448KB PDF) by Devany Plentovich of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Environmental Science and Policy Graduate Program. By knewbern, on September 11th, 2009 The Door County Invasive Species Team (DCIST) is a group of natural resource professionals and interested public members that are concerned with preserving Door County’s natural environment. DCIST seeks to halt the invasion of exotic non-native plants by empowering citizens with the education, the tools and the skills necessary to control invasive species. Currently DCIST offers advice, presentations, and training sessions on invasive species control, if you are interested in or have questions about invasive species on your land or on other properties in Door County. The link to their website is http://map.co.door.wi.us/swcd/invasive/default.htm. By knewbern, on September 11th, 2009 The spread of invasive species is now the second greatest threat, behind habitat destruction, to endangered plants and animals. Because they can out-compete native plants for water, nutrients and sunlight, increasing populations of non-native plants could have long-term effects on the biological integrity of the Sanctuary. For many years, volunteers have worked to control species such as Spotted Knapweed and European Helleborine Orchid by pulling individual plants. Recent research projects have focused on Phragmites (a tall, tough-stemmed grass) and its control using various herbicides. The best way to control the spread of these invaders is to locate and control them early, before they can get a “roothold” in an area. Visitors to the Ridges are encouraged to watch for non-native plants, especially Garlic Mustard, Black Swallow-wort, Japanese Barberry, Common Teasel, Japanese Knotweed, and Glossy and Common Buckthorn. If you believe you have seen any of these plants during a visit to the Sanctuary, please contact the Ridges staff as soon as possible. Include a description of when and where the plants were found, and describe characteristics of the plant (leaf shape, flowers, fruit or seed pods, etc.) that will help in making a positive identification. Photos documenting the plants are also very helpful. | |
