The Ridges Sanctuary

Preservation, Education, and Research

Registration

Check out The Ridges Events Calendar or the latest edition (Spring 2024) of The Ridges Program Guide for more.


Please select which program you wish to register for:

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Winter Guided Hikes: offered every Friday at 1:30 PM and Saturday at 10:30 am and 1:30 PM beginning in January, running through the end of March.

Join a Ridges Naturalist for an exploration of the Sanctuary in the winter. We will head out on the trails to learn all about the Sanctuary, explore some winter adaptations, search for animal tracks, and more! If conditions allow, we will utilize snowshoes for our hike. You can rent snowshoes from our nature store for $5 per pair.

Fee: Public $10, Member $7, 16 & Under Free

Join us on April 12th-14th for the Crane Symposium, celebrating Door County’s crane populations! Below are Crane Symposium events for families!

Chick Chats Story Hour: Bring your budding birders & naturalists to a Chick Chats Story Hour! Join Ridges staff at the Nature Center to read stories and learn about why Sandhill Cranes make the long journey north each spring, and how they do it. This program includes information about cranes and fun activities to excite kids about this special family of birds. At the end of the story, make a fun nature craft to take home or use on the Kids Birding 101 Hike. Suitable for families with young children.

Free, Family Friendly Crane Symposium event. No registration necessary.

Kids Birding 101 Hike: Want to try birding as a family? During this program, kids will have the opportunity to learn the basic skills of bird watching, including how to identify some common birds of Door County! We’ll meet at the Nature Center for a quick introduction then make our way down the Hidden Brook Boardwalk to see what birds we can spot!

Free, Family Friendly Crane Symposium event. No registration necessary.


YOUTH EDUCATION

2024 Backpack Adventure Camp: This summer we invite campers age 4-6 and 7-11 to join us for weeks filled with adventure, exploration, and discovery. Camps are held Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - Noon*. Children will engage in thoughtfully planned, supervised outdoor learning activities. On Fridays, campers will enjoy “Friday Fun Day” at the beach! Space is limited per session to 15 campers for ages 4 - 6 and 16 campers for ages 7 - 11. Each child receives a Ridges Adventure Pack that they will use throughout the week and take home at the end.

Register early, camp fills quickly. *REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 4TH, 2024

Forest School: Are you looking for a nature immersion experience for your homeschooler to supplement their learning? The Ridges Sanctuary presents: Ridges Forest School. This program is specifically designed for homeschool students ages 6-9.


ADULT EDUCATION

Join us on April 12th-14th for the celebration of Door County’s crane populations! Wisconsin cranes have made a comeback after decades of declining populations. Discover why populations declined and why they are resurging, learn about current threats to crane populations, and participate in the Midwest Crane Count! Below are Crane Symposium events for which you can register online!
Keynote Presentation with Stanley Temple: Stanley Temple, professor of forest and wildlife ecology and environmental studies at UW Madison will join us virtually for his presentation, “The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Then and Now: Is It Still Working?” Friday, April 12th, 6:00pm-7:30pm. Location: Virtual via Zoom

Fee: None. Pre-registration is required to receive zoom link.

Midwest Crane Count: The International Crane Foundation sponsors the Annual Midwest Crane Count as a part of its mission to conserve the world’s 15 species of cranes and the natural communities on which they depend. Observations of Sandhill Cranes can lend insight into threatened crane species, including the endangered Whooping Crane. Please save the date for this year’s crane count, Saturday, April 13th, 5:30 am - 7:30 am.

Fee: None. For more information, contact Tony Kiszonas at tony@ridgessanctuary.org or call (920)-839-2802.

Crane Nest Site Hike with Jane Whitney and Julie Knox: Join Naturalist Jane Whitney and Julie Knox on a hike to a potential crane nesting site to learn more about what makes the wetlands of Door County the perfect crane nesting habitat. Saturday, April 13th from 10:00am-11:45am. Meets at Cook-Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor.

Fee: $15 Public | $12 Member | $5 16 & Under.

Crane Nest Site Hike with Jane Whitney and Julie Knox: Join Naturalist Jane Whitney and Julie Knox on a hike to a potential crane nesting site to learn more about what makes the wetlands of Door County the perfect crane nesting habitat. Sunday, April 14th from 10:00am-11:45am. Meets at Cook-Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor.

Fee: $15 Public | $12 Member | $5 16 & Under.

Artist Talks with Len Villano: Join internationally published photographer Len Villano as he reflects on his journey photographing nature in Door County, with an emphasis on birds and sandhill cranes. Villano is a local artist specializing in fine art, nature & wildlife photography of Door County and beyond. After his presentation, Villano will show some of the equipment he uses to capture the stunning visuals we often see gracing the Peninsula Pulse, followed by a Q & A session. Some of his works will be on display during the Symposium. Meets at the Cook-Fuller Nature Center, 8166 State Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor.

Fee: FREE, donations appreciated! Due to limited seating, preregistration is required.


Check out The Ridges Events Calendar or the latest edition (Spring 2024) of The Ridges Program Guide for more.