Leaders: Amy Shook & Margaret Brennan, TRS

Bats, salamanders, and frogs, oh my! Join Ridges staff on a nighttime adventure through the Sanctuary. Explore the Sanctuary trails in the dark, stopping to observe and learn about some of the unique nocturnal species that roam The Ridges at night. Flashlights will be provided. Must be comfortable navigating uneven terrain in the dark. Suitable for ages 8 & up.

CENTRAL. Meet: Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, Baileys Harbor

Limit: 15

Leader: Dan Scheiman, TRS

It’s a great time to go birding as migration is in full swing and birds are singing! Let’s look for migratory and resident birds in the coastal forest of Newport State Park. *Park vehicle admission stickers or passes are required for this field trip. Suitable for ages 16 & up.

NORTH. Meet: Newport State Park, Parking Lot 3, Ellison Bay

Limit: 12

Leader: Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands 

Pollinators are crucial for sustaining wildlife, plants, and our food supply. The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands and the US Fish & Wildlife Service collaborate to protect pollinators and their habitats by addressing climate change and promoting access to nature’s benefits.  View our pollinator plot and the work we are doing to study monarch butterfly migration with the Washington Island School students. Suitable for all ages.  

NORTH. MEET: Shoreline Resort Marina, Gills Rock 

Limit: 14 

Please Note: This field trip is not discounted for anyone under the age of 16. When registering, please select "No" when prompted, "This registration is for a participant under the age of 16 years" EVEN IF the participant is under 16.

Leader: Bob Wise

Photosynthesis is the basis of almost every ecosystem on Earth. This workshop will look at the basics of photosynthesis in the classroom and outdoors. A 30-40 minute indoor discussion will include a brief explanation of photosynthesis and how it is measured. Then, a short field trip will be used to take photosynthesis readings using an InfraRed Gas Analyzer (IRGA), a robust, field-portable instrument. The results will be related to ongoing research at The Ridges. Suitable for ages 16 & up.

CENTRAL. Meet: Cabins at The Ridges Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor

Limit: 12

Leader: Karen Smith

Are you interested in restoring and improving the land surrounding your home? Do you desire a beautiful native environment that attracts birds, bees, and butterflies? Are you looking to conserve or restore your property and create a low maintenance, ecologically stable environment? Then this could be the program for you! Participants in this session will review the essential elements for pollinator garden success, including garden design, soil management, plant selection, plant nutrition, and general plot maintenance. Participants will also tour the Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center front gardens and receive pollinator plant seeds collected from the property to start a home pollinator garden. Suitable for ages 16 & up.

CENTRAL. Meet: Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, Baileys Harbor

Limit: 12

Leader: Todd Rockway

Join us for an exploration of the Kangaroo Lake watershed. The trip will begin at the headwaters of Peil Creek, visit Kangaroo Lake, and conclude at Heins Creek, a local stream within the Kangaroo Lake watershed. Participants will learn the process employed by citizen scientists to evaluate stream health by utilizing measurements of water temperature, clarity, and dissolved oxygen content and the relationship between these parameters and the types of aquatic macroinvertebrates present in a healthy stream. Suitable for ages 18 & up.

CENTRAL. Meet: Cabins at The Ridges Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor 

Limit: 8 

Leader: Tony Kiszonas, TRS

Enjoy a pleasant meander with a geological and biological focus at The Ridges Sanctuary’s Appel’s Bluff property. This unique adventure will include flowers, fossils, succession, and shorelines as we access areas of Appel’s Bluff that are off of the beaten path. Discussion will center on the historical and current uses of this area along with observing some unique features of this rather recent addition to The Ridges Sanctuary. The hike will be a leisurely 2 miles, primarily on trails. Some areas may be damp. Suitable for ages 16 & up.

CENTRAL. Meet: Cabins at The Ridges Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor

Limit: 15

Leader: Lee Frelich

Join us on a hike through the interior and shoreline forests of Newport State Park. We will observe how the tree species from boreal and temperate forest biomes blend together, and ancient rocky and sand-ridge shorelines that are now in the interior of the park due to glacial rebound. In addition, we will see tree damage from the August 2025 windstorm, and talk about forest recovery after natural disturbances. This will be about a 3-mile hike. Suitable for ages 16 & up.

NORTH. Meet: Newport State Park, Parking Lot 2, Ellison Bay

Limit: 15