The Ridges Sanctuary

Preservation, Education, and Research

Category: Featured

Ridges Uses Mandatory Cutting to Boost Research

Posted on Mar 15, 2024 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Articles · Featured · From the Keepers Desk · In the News

Published by Peninsula Pulse, Craig Sterrett – March 14th, 2024 A crew’s careful tree-cutting operation near the historic Baileys Harbor Range Lights served two restorative purposes, leaders at The Ridges Sanctuary said. During a narrow window of cold temperatures and snow cover this winter, workers cut and removed trees and brush without harming the fragile [..Read more]

Nature Notes: Birding at a Time of Transition

Posted on Feb 28, 2024 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Blog · Featured · Nature Notes

By Dan Scheiman, Visitor Engagement Specialist During this mild El Niño winter, it feels like spring is just around the corner here in Door County, and it certainly is according to the calendar, if not according to phenologies such as bud burst and frost-free days. Birds’ annual cycles are better defined as breeding, non-breeding, and [..Read more]

Learning outdoors: New 4K Program Gives Parents Alternate Options

Posted on Jan 25, 2024 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Articles · Featured · In the News

Published by NBC26, Katlyn Holt – January 19th, 2024 (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story) The days of traditional school may be over before they even started for some of Door County’s youngest students. I’m your Door County neighborhood reporter Katlyn Holt, and while a new type of 4K isn’t a [..Read more]

Nature Notes: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Posted on Dec 20, 2023 by Jeanne Farrell   1 Comment | Posted in Blog · Featured · Nature Notes

By Dan Scheiman, Visitor Engagement Specialist On Saturday, December 16, I participated in the Ephraim Christmas Bird Count. As a new Wisconsin resident and Ridges employee, it was my first time on this count, which has been going on for 60 years as part of an annual community science program, now in its 124th year. [..Read more]

“Natural Christmas” features stories of the season at The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor

Posted on Dec 7, 2023 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Articles · Featured · In the News · Programs

By Eric Peterson, FOX 11 News  – December 6th, 2023 BAILEYS HARBOR (WLUK) — Some might call it a scene right out of a holiday movie. Volunteers at The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor are getting an old wooden cabin ready for their “Natural Christmas” celebration on Saturday. “This year, we decided to call it ‘Stories of [..Read more]

The Volunteer Magic Behind Natural Christmas

Posted on Nov 27, 2023 by Jackie Rath   1 Comment | Posted in Articles · Featured · Nature Notes

By Anna Foster, Program Director This November, while the rest of the peninsula is winding down, The Ridges is preparing for one of our biggest – and certainly the most festive – events of the year. Staff and volunteers spend countless hours getting ready for the event of the season. Two volunteers in particular have [..Read more]

A Collaborative Celebration of Citizen Scientists

Posted on Oct 6, 2023 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Articles · Featured · In the News

Published by Peninsula Pulse, Craig Sterrett – October 5th, 2023 Door County has an amazing wealth of natural areas and hundreds of volunteers for multiple organizations who work individually and in teams to aid in ongoing and large-scale research projects and help protect, enhance and monitor dozens of sites. This month, for the first time [..Read more]

Nature Notes: Monarch Madness

Posted on Aug 17, 2023 by Jeanne Farrell   No Comments Yet | Posted in Blog · Featured · Nature Notes · Uncategorized

by Anna Foster, Director of Programming A symbol of summer, monarch butterflies are widely recognized for their bright orange, black, and white spotted wings. Their scientific name, Danaus plexippus, translates to “sleepy transformation” in Greek, referring to their incredible ability to metamorphosize. From their larval stage, they form a chrysalis, spending two weeks metamorphizing into [..Read more]

Ridges Receives $73,000 Grant For Iris Restoration

Posted on Jul 31, 2023 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Featured · In the News

Published by Door County Pulse, July 27th, 2023 The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor has been awarded federal funds to implement a dwarf lake iris restoration project through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program.  The grant advances efforts to expand the plant’s numbers, which have been decreasing at the sanctuary during the past [..Read more]

Nature Notes: The Hidden Gem of the Sanctuary

Posted on Jul 27, 2023 by Jackie Rath   No Comments Yet | Posted in Blog · Featured · Nature Notes

By Jackie Rath, Program Coordinator Did you know that one of the most precious species of The Ridges Sanctuary is the Hine’s emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana)? This winged wonder is listed as Federally endangered and its largest populations are found in Door County, particularly in The Ridges Sanctuary and surrounding wetlands. In fact, the Hine’s [..Read more]