Yesterday evening I attended a Duluth/Superior Eco Rotary meeting where we were lucky enough to hear Peter Smerud speak. Peter is the Executive Director at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. Needless to say we learned a lot about the Center located in Finland and its storied history. In 1980 the center became the first of its kind to be accredited in the entire nation! One of the things I found very interesting is how the center controls its costs extremely well, making it extremely affordable to schools, groups, and families. After glancing at last fiscal year’s numbers it became apparent that this is a nonprofit with a sound business plan.
The Center has numerous programs running year round ranging from Grandparent/Grandchild Programs to Naturalist Training for college graduates. Hearing about Wolf Ridge and all the great experiences it provides, especially for school children, brought back memories of a similar experience I had in grade school. Just being surrounded by nature is something that is becoming more and more valuable to today’s youth. With over 2000 acres, Wolf Ridge had no shortage of wildlife and natural beauty. We are lucky to have such a treasure just 68 miles from the Coldwell Banker East West Realty-Duluth office.
If you are interested in helping support this great organization there are three easy ways which include becoming a member, donating, and adopting an animal. The Eco Rotary club is also thinking about volunteering some time in the near future so I will most likely post about this when details become apparent.
