A forest can seem very constant, immovable, and unchanging. It is easy to get lulled into a sense that a specific forested area has always been here and will always be here. However, this is actually far from the truth. A forest is a living system, and like any living thing, there is constant movement, […]
Read Full Post“Look at my rock! It’s so shiny!” “Well mine looks like it has a face in it!” Sounds of future rock collectors can be heard at the beginning of every “Geology” class now that the lesson plan has been rewritten. After spending minutes agonizing over the choice of which rock is the perfect pocket rock, […]
Read Full PostAs I meander down to Wolf Lake from the Lakeview House with fishing pole in hand, it becomes hard not to notice all the changes going on in the forest this time of year. Under the surface of the lakes there are almost just as many, going unnoticed by most. My earliest memories are of […]
Read Full PostAs I begin my second year as Chair of the Wolf Ridge Board of Trustees, I am reminded of how proud I am of the accomplishments of this amazing organization. Your support of Wolf Ridge has been critical in the success of Wolf Ridge. Wolf Ridge has educated students and adults for over 45 years. […]
Read Full PostSeptember at Wolf Ridge is the start of our year. Since we are a school, I imagine you’re not surprised by that way of viewing September. We welcomed 15 new students into our naturalist training program. Here they learn to be effective educators, whether in a formal K-12 classroom or hiking with kids along the […]
Read Full PostWhen you first view Lake Superior on the way to Wolf Ridge, it’s the size that makes the biggest impression. The vast and occasionally fog-shrouded lake keeps asking you to look at it as you drive along its shore. Large bodies of water have that attraction and this body of water is indeed large. It […]
Read Full PostTori Dahl is currently the Farm Field Manager at Wolf Ridge, a seven-month job she started in April, 2018. Her background includes B.A.s in Biology and English from California Lutheran University and from Antioch University of New England, a Masters in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Education, plus a Certificate in Food Justice and Resilient Communities. […]
Read Full Post“We should call that one The Great Pigdini!” “And that one can be named JEFF!” No matter what age of students you bring down to the farm, as soon as you allow them some free time to explore, they inevitably all end up surrounding the pigs. Meeting pigs isn’t the only highlight of the day. […]
Read Full PostIf you happen to be visiting the Wolf Ridge Organic Farm this summer, you might see some new critters stalking about. Pigs, thats right. We have 3 pigs in each of 4 pens (12 pigs total) rooting around the scrub land that was cleared a year ago. When they get moved to a new piece […]
Read Full PostI’ve had the wonderful opportunity to intern here at Wolf Ridge for the past five months. The experience was part of my undergraduate studies at University of Minnesota Duluth. This internship has taught me so many things it’s going to be hard to cram them into this small post, so I’ll focus on my top […]
Read Full PostSpring is finally ~actually~ here on the ridge! New little ephemerals such as marsh marigold, bloodroot, and ramps (wild leeks) are sprouting all about the ridge! Beavers were seen in the pond in the wetlands, as well as many new waterfowl. Recorded so far are trumpeter swans, hooded mergansers, common mergansers, red-breasted mergansers, buffleheads, pied-billed […]
Read Full PostSpring is finally ~actually~ here on the ridge! New little ephemerals such as marsh marigold, bloodroot, and wild leeks are sprouting all about the ridge! Beavers were seen in the pond in the wetlands, as well as many new waterfowl. Recorded so far are trumpeter swans, Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Red-Breasted Mergansers, Buffleheads, Pied-billed grebes, […]
Read Full PostRamps, also known as wild leeks, are a wild onion species and one of the first spring ephemerals in the Wolf Ridge woods. Spring ephemerals are ground plants that sprout after the snow melts but before the trees leaf out, taking advantage of the increased sunlight hitting the forest floor. Ramps are more commonly associated […]
Read Full PostEvery day at Wolf Ridge Summer Camp is unique in its own way. With that in mind, here’s a tour through what one of those days might look like. 7:00 AM “Rise and Shine everyone!” (…yawn…) Time to wake up and get ready for the day… 7:30 AM “This is a repeat after […]
Read Full PostThe Lake People There is one place on the shore of Mother Superior that the Lake People still frequent in peace. there is no black sludge that invades the rolling waves that hit basalt. The Lake People maintain their garden combing through tangles of lichens. With crisp water, they gently spray the tiny […]
Read Full PostWhen the weather starts to warm up and as signs of spring arrive, it is inevitable that I’ll start thinking about getting out on a wilderness trip during the summer. There is just something about the promise of exploration, solitude, and time spent with good friends, that keeps me dreaming about the next outdoor adventure. […]
Read Full PostWhen Spring arrives on the ridge, it is not as Mary Oliver or other poets would write it as. There are no tender tendrils of green peeking through the ground, with song birds chirping happily in boughs of newly leafed trees. No, instead the ground is covered in crystalized, crunchy snow, with earth infused. The […]
Read Full PostAs the Summer Youth & Family Program Director at Wolf Ridge, I get the privilege of talking to many parents each year. One of the biggest things I have learned from all of these conversations is that it is not easy for parents to make the decision to send their child to summer camp. While […]
Read Full PostBeing an adult, I sometimes forget about the magic of nature. I forget about the rolling hills of the eroded Sawtooth mountains, the tiny networks of organisms in lichens, the peeling exposed bark of the paper birch, the tall red pines, and wolf tracks along ski trails. Even as I live here, it can be […]
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