Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center

In 1969, Jack Pichotta created a program for students in a high school in Cloquet, Minnesota. The program replaces a week of normal classes and instead teaches about environmental topics. These environmental topics are taught by over 100 environmental specialists. Pichotta joined a group of concerned educators to discuss environmental education in Minnesota.{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=http://wolf-ridge.org/about/|accessdate=10 December 2013}} Pichotta and his team decided to use a closed down U.S. Forest Service camp as a school to teach about the environment. The camp, previously named Isabella Job Corps Camp, was renamed Isabella Environmental Learning Center.

In 1974 Pichotta and his team decided that the program would need a new permanent location. Between 1975 and 1985, the program moved to Finland, Minnesota, and eventually evolved into Wolf Ridge, a 3–5 day school.

Wolf Ridge's main campus was built in the Sawtooth Mountains on a precipice overlooking Lake Superior. The campus contains about 2,000 acres of mixed conifer–hardwood forest. Wolf Ridge has 2 small lakes, Raven Lake and Wolf Lake, as well as several streams. The Baptism River also flows through the property. Hills on campus include the tallest, Mystical Mountain, which stands at approximately1,500 feet, and Marshal Mountain, which stands at 1,405 feet. The main campus consists of a dining hall, an energy center, an education building, and a science center, as well as two dormitories (East and West) for housing visitors and a staff housing lodge. The West Dorm received Living Challenge certification by the International Living Future Institute in 2021, becoming the first renovation project in the world to receive this designation.{{cite web|title=Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center - Margaret A. Cargill (MAC) Lodge|url=https://living-future.org/lbc/case-studies/wolf-ridge-environmental-learning-center-mac-lodge/|publisher=International Living Future Institute|accessdate=26 April 2022}} Additional campus features include a staff-run organic garden, multiple renewable energy projects, two rock climbing walls, two outdoor ropes courses, 18 miles of trails connected to the Superior Hiking Trail, and cross-country skiing trails in the winter.

Wolf Ridge offers various programs for visitors of all ages, but the school is primarily known for its school-year outdoor education programming, available to K–12 school groups and hosting over 10,000 students every year. Other programs include summer camps, educational offerings for seniors and families, virtual field trips, a teacher institute, and "graduate naturalist"{{cite web|title=Graduate Naturalist Training Program|url=https://wolf-ridge.org/programs/educators/naturalist/|accessdate=26 April 2022}} training in Environmental Education through a partnership with Antioch University New England. The first environmental learning center in the United States to receive K–12 accreditation, Wolf Ridge is the largest environmental learning center in the nation.{{cite web|title=HGA's Overhaul at Minnesota's Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center is the first renovated Living Building|date=29 October 2021 |url=https://www.archpaper.com/2021/10/hga-overhaul-minnesota-wolf-ridge-environmental-learning-center-is-the-first-renovated-living-building/|publisher=The Architect's Newspaper|accessdate=26 April 2022}}

{{Weather box

|location = Wolf Ridge ELC, Minnesota, 1991–2020 normals: 1400ft (427m)

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 53

|Feb record high F = 62

|Mar record high F = 71

|Apr record high F = 82

|May record high F = 93

|Jun record high F = 97

|Jul record high F = 98

|Aug record high F = 95

|Sep record high F = 94

|Oct record high F = 85

|Nov record high F = 71

|Dec record high F = 58

|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 38

|Feb avg record high F = 45

|Mar avg record high F = 56

|Apr avg record high F = 69

|May avg record high F = 82

|Jun avg record high F = 86

|Jul avg record high F = 90

|Aug avg record high F = 89

|Sep avg record high F = 84

|Oct avg record high F = 73

|Nov avg record high F = 55

|Dec avg record high F = 42

|year avg record high F = 92

|Jan high F = 19.2

|Feb high F = 24.1

|Mar high F = 35.0

|Apr high F = 46.1

|May high F = 59.5

|Jun high F = 69.8

|Jul high F = 76.1

|Aug high F = 74.3

|Sep high F = 65.4

|Oct high F = 51.2

|Nov high F = 35.6

|Dec high F = 24.1

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 10.1

|Feb mean F = 13.7

|Mar mean F = 25.0

|Apr mean F = 37.1

|May mean F = 49.7

|Jun mean F = 59.6

|Jul mean F = 65.3

|Aug mean F = 63.9

|Sep mean F = 55.5

|Oct mean F = 42.6

|Nov mean F = 28.4

|Dec mean F = 16.5

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 1.0

|Feb low F = 3.3

|Mar low F = 15.0

|Apr low F = 28.2

|May low F = 39.8

|Jun low F = 49.4

|Jul low F = 54.5

|Aug low F = 53.5

|Sep low F = 45.6

|Oct low F = 34.0

|Nov low F = 21.1

|Dec low F = 8.9

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F= -22

|Feb avg record low F= -18

|Mar avg record low F= -8

|Apr avg record low F = 14

|May avg record low F = 28

|Jun avg record low F = 38

|Jul avg record low F = 45

|Aug avg record low F = 43

|Sep avg record low F = 32

|Oct avg record low F = 22

|Nov avg record low F = 3

|Dec avg record low F = −14

|year avg record low F = −25

|Jan record low F = −35

|Feb record low F = −40

|Mar record low F = −25

|Apr record low F = -6

|May record low F = 17

|Jun record low F = 32

|Jul record low F = 39

|Aug record low F = 37

|Sep record low F = 27

|Oct record low F = 8

|Nov record low F = -9

|Dec record low F = −27

|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.34

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.17

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.66

|Apr precipitation inch = 2.68

|May precipitation inch = 3.52

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.05

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.25

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.31

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.30

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.51

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.72

|Dec precipitation inch = 2.01

|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 24.00

|Feb snow inch = 15.50

|Mar snow inch = 12.10

|Apr snow inch = 8.50

|May snow inch = 0.40

|Jun snow inch = 0.00

|Jul snow inch = 0.00

|Aug snow inch = 0.00

|Sep snow inch = 0.00

|Oct snow inch = 1.50

|Nov snow inch = 10.00

|Dec snow inch = 22.20

|year snow inch =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00219134&format=pdf

|title = Wolf Ridge ELC, Minnesota 1991-2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = October 30, 2023

}}

|source 2 = XMACIS (records & monthly max/mins)

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS

|access-date = October 30, 2023

}}

}}

• [http://wolf-ridge.org/ Wolf Ridge Official Site]

{{Coord|47|22|55.06|N|91|11|45.86|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

Category:Nature centers in Minnesota

Category:Buildings and structures in Lake County, Minnesota

Category:Education in Lake County, Minnesota

Category:Protected areas of Lake County, Minnesota

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