March 06, 2025
Linda Blaser
Ridges Sanctuary, College affiliation opens new doors to learning
The Ridges Sanctuary photo by Brett Kosmider. Used with permission of The Ridges Sanctuary.
Lake Forest College is pleased to announce a budding interdisciplinary affiliation with The Ridges Sanctuary, a leading environmental conservation organization in Bailey’s Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin.
This affiliation, implemented under the leadership of Krebs Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tara Natarajan, offers students unique hands-on learning experiences in both field research and environmental studies—further setting the College apart as a leader in immersive experiential education.
Two opportunities launching in Summer 2025:
New Three-Week Field Course :
- In May 2025, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Glenn Adelson will teach ES 211: Botany and Ecology in the Northern Forest, a new three-week field course.
- Students in the class will spend:
- One week on campus learning about the Northern Forest.
- One week immersed in fieldwork at The Ridges Sanctuary.
- One week camping in the northern woods, gaining firsthand ecological experience.
Exclusive Summer Internships:
- With generous donor support for this pilot program and funding from Lake Forest College, two fully funded summer internships will be available exclusively to Lake Forest College students.
- Internship stipends will total $5,200 for 10 weeks (400 hours), including lodging at The Ridges. Internship categories include:
- Field Research Internship: Active field research for the Orchid Restoration Project, Dwarf Lake Iris Restoration Project, and Showy Lady Slippers preservation, among other activities.
- Boreal Climate Survivability Project Internship: Tree planting, biodiversity surveys, data collection, volunteer coordination, and other projects.
Collaboration rooted in connections and vision
The seeds of this new affiliation between the College and The Ridges grew from conversations between Natarajan and Rick Johnson and Claudia Wyatt-Johnson ’69—a family deeply connected to both institutions. Claudia is a Lake Forest College trustee, alumna, and parent of a 2003 alum, while Rick serves on The Ridges Board of Directors. Their shared passion for conservation and experiential education sparked the vision for this collaboration.
Momentum grew in 2024 as Associate Dean of the Faculty Matt Kelley and Executive Director of The Ridges Sanctuary Katie Krouse brought together staff and faculty from across academic disciplines—including Art and Art History, Biology, Chemistry, English, Environmental Studies, Modern Languages and Literatures, Music, Sociology and Anthropology, Religion, Theater, and the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center—to brainstorm future collaborations. In September 2024, Adelson, who has a long relationship with The Ridges, led a group of eight faculty members on an overnight excursion to The Ridges to further explore this budding relationship.
With a vision for interdisciplinary engagement and guided by a strong desire to develop collaborations for Summer 2025, the Office of Academic Affairs, The Ridges, and the Wyatt-Johnsons worked together to develop and fund two internship opportunities exclusively for Lake Forest College students. In addition, they worked with Adelson on developing the new, three-week field course.
A distinctive approach to experiential learning
This affiliation represents Lake Forest College’s commitment to offering students high-impact, immersive experiences that cross disciplines and connect classroom learning with the wider world. Whether through field research, environmental restoration, or interdisciplinary coursework, the partnership with The Ridges Sanctuary empowers students to engage with pressing environmental challenges while preparing for careers that make a difference.
Applications for the internships will open in Spring 2025.
Associate Professor Glenn Adelson (second from left) leads students in an on-campus fieldwork class.