Founded in 1937, The Ridges Sanctuary is Wisconsin’s first land trust, protecting the state’s most biologically diverse ecosystem. Its ridge-swale complex provides a variety of environmental conditions from open beach to densely shaded conifer forest, home to 500 species of plants, 60 species of birds and 12 threatened or endangered species like the Hine’s Emerald dragonfly. Each year, thousands hike trails where orchids thrive as they did when the paths were first cleared by founding members.