Instagram story viewer> @wolfridgeelc> Posts

Wolf Ridge ELC

@wolfridgeelc

3.1K

followers

87

following

Explore our Outdoor Classroom!
🌱 As a Wolf Ridge Naturalist in our Graduate Program
🎓 For an Overnight School Field Trip
☀️ At Summer Camp

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

A New Cohort. A New Year of Learning. 🌲

There's a special energy on campus each fall when our newest graduate naturalists arrive.

This year, 17 graduate students joined the Wolf Ridge Naturalist Training Program. After several weeks of intensive fall training, they completed the first phase of their program on September 4.

Over the coming year, they'll spend their days outside—teaching students and exploring the ecosystems of Wolf Ridge. They'll also earn 12 graduate credits and a Master's certificate as they grow as educators, naturalists, and leaders.

From training to the classroom—or onto the trail—we're excited to see where this year takes them.

Welcome to Wolf Ridge, 2026-27 Naturalist Cohort!

Learn more about the Naturalist Training Program: https://wolf-ridge.org/programs/educators/naturalist/ by @wolfridgeelc

168

8

a month ago

🧭Why Outdoor School Matters

Because some things can't be learned from a textbook.

At Wolf Ridge, students step into a living laboratory of learning. They explore forests, wetlands, and Lake Superior. They work together. They discover things they've never seen before.

And sometimes, they experience something as simple — and as extraordinary — as seeing the Northern Lights or the Milky Way illuminate the sky for the first time.

These experiences connect young people to the land, to one another and to their own sense of possibility.

As our former executive director reflects in this video, that connection can become something much bigger.

That's why we believe every student deserves the opportunity to experience Outdoor School.

👉Watch the video and see why we do what we do. Discover why Outdoor School matters: https://wolf-ridge.org/outdoor-school/

#WolfRidge #OutdoorSchool #OutdoorEducation #LearningInNature by @wolfridgeelc

63

0

a month ago

Enjoy an evening amidst the fall colors!

Each year, Wolf Ridge has a front-row seat as the hillsides along the shore turn brilliant colors. This year, we invite you to take in the views at the inaugural Dinner on the Ridge fundraiser: an evening of connection, discovery, and learning.

Saturday, September 26th, 2026 | 4:30 - 8:00 PM
Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Finland, MN

Join us to connect with old and new friends, including Wolf Ridge’s newest Executive Director, Vanessa Mendillo Riegler. Your evening will feature naturalist-guided walks along the Ridge's trails for an up-close look at the season's color, a catered dinner, and a featured presentation from resident naturalist Charlie Pavlisich.

We look forward to welcoming you as we celebrate all we’ve accomplished and carry on the adventure.

Space is limited! RSVP today at https://tinyurl.com/dinner-on-the-ridge by @wolfridgeelc

31

0

2 months ago

🍂This fall, find your people.

Join a community of curious explorers, lifelong learners, and nature lovers on Minnesota's North Shore.

Whether you're seeking quiet reflection through our Fall Equinox Yoga Retreat or hands-on discovery at our Retreat for Naturalists, you'll leave with new perspectives, meaningful connections, and memories shaped the the North Woods.

Space is limited: https://bit.ly/4zijkh0

Find your fall at Wolf Ridge. 🧭 September 25 - 27, 2026 by @wolfridgeelc

50

0

2 months ago

Join us on Monday, August 24th at LTD Brewing in Hopkins for Give Back Monday! 20% of proceeds from 2 to 10pm go towards outdoor education at Wolf Ridge.

@ltdbrewing by @wolfridgeelc

12

0

2 months ago

The past week has brought unprecedented conditions to northern Minnesota. Wildfires burning across the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, combined with heavy smoke, hazardous air quality, and extreme heat, have affected communities, organizations, and public lands across the region.

Our thoughts right now are, first and foremost, with the people, businesses, and organizations most directly and immediately affected: those who have been evacuated, those fighting the fires, and our neighbors and partners in the Boundary Waters and Gunflint Trail communities whose lives and livelihoods have been upended.

Wolf Ridge has felt these impacts too. From canceled trips into the Boundary Waters and program adjustments to air quality concerns on our campus in Finland, MN. But we’ve also seen the power of the greater Wolf Ridge community coming together. Folks have been checking in, asking how they can help, contributing, and supporting us from afar.

As we navigate the ripple effects of this event and the continued uncertainty about what the coming weeks will bring, it's this community that keeps Wolf Ridge strong and able to continue serving youth and families.
Thank you for standing with us, and with all of northern Minnesota. by @wolfridgeelc

128

1

3 months ago

As daylight fades and the forest settles into evening, something remarkable happens—we begin to notice.

Join us for In the Company of Trees: The Silence that Speaks, a three-day forest bathing retreat at Wolf Ridge on Minnesota's North Shore. Experience guided forest bathing walks, fireside reflection, a twilight wander beneath the waning moon, and restorative time immersed in the living world.

Led by David Motzenbecker, this retreat blends the practice of Shinrin-Yoku with Stoic wisdom, inviting you to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover the clarity that emerges when life becomes quiet enough to hear it.

🌲 August 31–September 2, 2026
🌙 Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center
🔗 Register today: https://wolf-ridge.org/event/in-the-company-of-trees/ by @wolfridgeelc

10

0

4 months ago

Some moments shape not just an organization—but generations to come.

We're grateful to the Minnesota Star Tribune for highlighting Wolf Ridge's partnership with The Nature Conservancy to permanently protect 928 acres of forests, streams, and wildlife habitat through a conservation easement.

This isn't simply about preserving land. It's about safeguarding a place where curiosity is sparked, resilience is built, and countless young people discover a lifelong connection to the natural world.

As Wolf Ridge enters a new chapter under Executive Director Vanessa Mendillo Riegler, we're inspired by what lies ahead.

"Protecting this landscape is ultimately about protecting possibility. Every student who stands beneath these trees, explores these streams, or looks across Lake Superior has the opportunity to discover something meaningful about the natural world—and about themselves. This conservation easement ensures that those transformative experiences will continue for generations. I'm honored to join the Wolf Ridge community at such a hopeful moment and to help carry this vision forward." — Vanessa Mendillo Riegler

Read the full Minnesota Star Tribune story: https://bit.ly/4xNw3XY

#WolfRidge #Conservation #OutdoorEducation #FutureGenerations #EnvironmentalEducation by @wolfridgeelc

103

0

4 months ago

Gather. Nourish. Restore. 🍃

Give yourself something to look forward to this fall.

Join us at Wolf Ridge on Minnesota's North Shore for a weekend of yoga, nature, reflection, nourishing meals, and meaningful connection. Together, we'll step away from the busyness of daily life and create space to slow down, reset, and reconnect—with ourselves, with nature, and with one another.

Whether you're seeking rest, renewal, community, or simply time to breathe, this retreat offers a welcoming space to pause and prepare for the season ahead.

📍 Finland, Minnesota
📅 September 25–27, 2026

Space is limited—reserve your spot early: https://bit.ly/4vI3REe

#GatherNourishRestore #NorthShoreMN #YogaRetreat #FallRetreat #MindfulLiving #WolfRidge #NatureHeals #YogaInNature 🍁🧘‍♀️🌲 by @wolfridgeelc

23

0

4 months ago

Join us for Wolf Ridge's annual FREE Open House!

Spend the day exploring everything Wolf Ridge has to offer. Try the ropes course, climb the indoor rock wall, canoe on Wolf Lake, visit the organic farm, explore miles of trails, and enjoy a day outdoors with family and friends.

📅 Saturday, June 27, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM–4:00 PM

No advance registration required.

Whether you've visited Wolf Ridge before or are discovering us for the first time, this is a great opportunity to experience our campus, meet staff, and enjoy outdoor adventure for all ages.

We hope to see you there! by @wolfridgeelc

69

0

4 months ago

Protecting the Land That Teaches 🌲

We’re proud to share that 928 acres of Wolf Ridge's landscape are now permanently protected through a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota

What makes this moment especially meaningful is that the land is protected forever while still being used as our outdoor classroom.

That means students will continue to hike these trails, study these streams, explore these forests, and learn in the same landscapes that have shaped generations of Wolf Ridge learners.

This is conservation and connection working together.

The land is protected, and the learning continues.

Learn More: https://wolf-ridge.org/protecting-wolf-ridge-forever/ by @wolfridgeelc

186

4

5 months ago

There's still time to register for the Timber Framing Workshop at Wolf Ridge Farm!

Learn the timeless craft of building with wooden posts and beams using traditional mortise & tenon joinery — no nails or metal fasteners required.

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll:
🔨 Learn essential timber framing skills
🪚 Use hand & power tools
🏗 Help raise a completed timber frame
🌲 Build a structure that will support Wolf Ridge Farm

Lodging + meals included on-site at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center.

Led by experienced timber framer Jenna Pollard, this is a rare opportunity to gain practical skills, connect with others, and build something meaningful.

Spots are limited — register before it’s full!
https://wolf-ridge.org/event/timber-frame-workshop/ #timberframing #woodworking #HandsOnLearning #wolfridge #homesteading

#TimberFraming #Woodworking #HandsOnLearning #WolfRidge #NaturalBuilding #Homesteading by @wolfridgeelc

36

0

5 months ago