The Ridges Announces Early Summer Offerings

No matter what it looks like outside, spring is in the air and on the calendar of events at The Ridges Sanctuary.

Naturalist guided hikes resume in April with a series of themed hikes on Saturdays at 1 pm, beginning April 12. Each hike begins with a brief presentation on a specific feature of the Sanctuary followed by a hike. A complete list of dates and topics is available at ridgessanctuary.org.

Regular guided hikes begin on a limited basis on May 14 before expanding to the full summer season schedule when they will be held Tuesdays through Saturdays at 9:30 am and 1:30 pm, June 3 through Aug. 30.

The Ridges Natural Connections series continues the multi-generational programming, a mainstay of the schedule. These programs are suitable for adults and families and include a Woodcock Watch on April 25, a Frog Walk on May 9 and a Solstice Walk on June 20. Parents may also want to mark their calendars for two upcoming overnight camping adventures – one for fathers and sons on May 30 & 31, and one for mothers and daughters on June 27 & 28. Both overnights feature a night hike, a campfire, breakfast and a morning bird hike.

Lake Lessons, the popular Thursday evening speaker series, returns on June 19 with a presentation on lichens by Mary Bartkowiak of the UW-Stevens Point Freckmann Herbarium. On June 26, Heather Walder, archeologist and PhD Candidate at UW-Madison, discusses the historical settlement of peoples throughout the Door Peninsula. This presentation coincides with the installation of a new exhibit on Rock Island, which highlights findings from Walder’s research.

New on the Sanctuary schedule this year is a series of Conservation Clinics. Held on Tuesdays at 1 pm, the clinics provide in-depth classroom training followed by a hike and will cover a variety of topics that prepare members and visitors for the season ahead.

If parents are already planning their children’s summer activities, check out the new Ridges Backpack Adventure Camps. Full-week camps begin in July with sessions appropriate for ages 4 – 5 and 6 – 8.

For detailed information about these and other program offerings, visit RidgesSanctuary.org or call 920.839.2802.