The Ridges Sanctuary

The Ridges Sanctuary
Welcome sign and National Natural Landmark sign
Map of Wisconsin
Location	Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates	45.0729°N 87.1187°W / 45.0729; -87.1187
Area	1,600 acres (650 ha)
Established	1937
ridgessanctuary.org
U.S. National Natural Landmark
Designated	1967

The Ridges Sanctuary is a 1,600-acre (650 ha) nature preserve and land trust in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. It is listed as a National Natural Landmark, Important Bird Area and Wisconsin State Natural Area.[1] It was founded in 1937 and was the first land trust in the state.[2][3]

The sanctuary is also home to the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, which were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[4]

The Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center opened in 2015.[5] The 7,400-square foot facility is LEED certified,[6] and includes displays about the preserve's karst topography, wildflowers, plants, animals and the history of the site's founding.

The sanctuary includes a small amount of the raw humus rendzina soil type, which is globally uncommon.[7] and is also found in the Marshall's Point State Natural Area, a residential development not open to the public.[8]

Orchid project

Although the sanctuary is home to wild orchids, it also operates an orchid restoration project to cultivate and introduce rare orchids into otherwise natural plant communities.[9] 25 native orchid species are currently kept at the Ridges.[10] A 1998 survey of wild, native orchids was carried out in response to continued theft of the sanctuary orchids. 28 species were identified.[11]

Climate

The Ridges Sanctuary State Natural Area Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     63     −4 −5     52     −6 −8     49     0 −3     97     3 1     86     7 3     91     14 9     105     15 14     96     18 17     96     16 15     107     10 6     80     4 4     57     3 −2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [12] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.5     25 23     2     21 18     1.9     32 27     3.8     37 34     3.4     45 37     3.6     57 48     4.1     59 57     3.8     64 63     3.8     61 59     4.2     50 43     3.1     39 39     2.2     37 28 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Gallery

• 
  Baileys Harbor Range Lights
• 
  Survey marker in the sanctuary
• 
  Plaque near the base of the range lights
• 
  Chalk-fronted corporal dragonfly in June at the Ridges
• 
  Trail at the sanctuary, November 27, 2021

See also

• Jens Jensen
• Emma Toft

References

1. "Our Story". The Ridges Sanctuary. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
2. The Ridges Sanctuary Interpretive Master Plan, February 2013.
3. Clark, Brian E. "Weekend Getaway: Door County's Ridges Sanctuary a special boreal habitat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
4. Preserving Baileys Harbor range lights by Tina M. Gohr, Green Bay Press-Gazette, July 11, 2017
5. "Ridges Sanctuary's new Nature Center opens Saturday". Green Bay Press-Gazette. June 13, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
6. "Cook-Albert Fuller Center is Full of Green Features". Door County Pulse. July 30, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
7. Door to Nature: Trailing Arbutus by Roy and Charlotte Lukes, Peninsula Pulse, May 5, 2017
8. Natural Area Inventory, Wisconsin's Great Lakes Coast by the Coastal Zone Information Center, revised 1980
9. Orchid Restoration Work at The Ridges By Door County Pulse, Peninsula Pulse, January 20, 2017
10. Jones, Meg (September 17, 2013). "Rare native orchids in Door County get a helping hand". Jsonline. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
11. Knudson, Kip (2005). "An Orchid Survey of the Ridges Sanctuary, Selbyana 26(1/2), 1/2, Proceedings of the Second International Orchid Conservation Congress, pages 46–48". Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Inc. JSTOR 41760172.
12. "NASA EarthData Search". NASA. Retrieved January 30, 2016.

External links

• The Ridges Sanctuary
• Trail Map
• Baileys Harbor Ridges Park Beach description in Door County Outdoors: A Guide to the Best Hiking, Biking, Paddling, Beaches, and Natural Places by Magill Weber, Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 2011, page 115
• Ridges Road: A History with Leean Despotes by the Baileys Harbor Historical Society, Sevestopol TV, June 18, 2015
• The Ridges Sanctuary with Steve Leonard by the Baileys Harbor Historical Society, Sevestopol TV, August 21, 2012