Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center

    Many year ago Mr. DeJardin started bringing 7th and 8th graders up to the beauty of Northern Minnesota for a very special and unique leaning experience, set up and taught by Wolf Ridge's professional staff members.  Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center (ELC) outside of Finland, Minnesota offers our students a hands on learning experience ranging from environmental classes such as Stream Studies and Forestry to Voyageur and Ojibwa cultures.  The students also experience individual character building through two high ropes courses and two indoor rock walls and team building through Orienteering and group games.  

    Students, parents, and staff chaperons leave the Wednesday morning after Wisconsin Convention and spend two nights and three days at Wolf Ridge, returning to school Friday night.  Students and staff drive up in two busses and parent chaperons car pool and help carry the students' luggage and various items.  

    While at Wolf Ridge - ELC students and chaperons stay in one of two dorms on the property.  Each room holds 6 to 8 people and chaperons are assigned to supervise a room while at ELC.  Wolf Ridge provides all meals during our stay, and all students and chaperons are assigned to one "Kitchen Patrol" time where they help with kitchen and dinning room clean up.  

    During their stay at ELC, students are expected to think about and help take care of their environment.  At the beginning of their experience they are given a "Conservation Challenge" where they are deducted points for conservation issues of waste and energy.  Students are expected to recycle the appropriate products into recycling bins and then sort the bins at the recycling centers outside of the dorms.  When leaving their rooms they are expected to remember to close all windows and turn off light to conserve energy.  If they don't follow these challenges, the whole group is deducted points and need to gain the points back by collecting "trail trash" throughout the property. 

    The experience that students receive during ELC cannot be duplicated in the normal classroom.  Unfortunately this experience is not free.  Fortunately, students can make money that goes towards their fee by working at the St. Patrick School Rummage sale the spring before and helping with can crushing at church.  

    We are thrilled to offer this wonderful learning opportunity to our 7th and 8th graders and encourage them to take what they learn and experience at ELC and incorporate it into their everyday lifelong habits.  God created the world for us all, and it is all our jobs to take care and preserve the wonders he intrusted to us. 


Wolf Ridge
Taken from Wolf Ridge's monthly newsletter

About Wolf Ridge

Wolf Ridge is an accredited residential environmental school for persons of all ages.  We offer immersion programs with involve direct observation and participation in outdoor experiences.  Wolf Ridge programs focus on environmental science, human culture and history, personal growth, team-building and outdoor recreation.

Our Mission
To develop a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills, motivation and commitment to act together for a quality environment.

What We Do
We meet our mission by:
* Fostering awareness, curiosity and sensitivity to the natural world.
* Providing lifelong learning experiences in nature.
* Developing social understating, respect and cooperation.
* Modeling values, behaviors and technologies, which leads to a sustainable lifestyle.
* Promoting the concepts of conservation and stewardship.

Click here to learn more about Wolf Ridge and other family opportunities.