Passport to the Ledge

Passport to the Niagara Escarpment Update

There is still plenty of time to celebrate 2010 as the "Year of the Niagara Escarpment" by participating in Fond du Lac County Audubon's Passport to the Niagara Escarpment program. Fall is a wonderful time to visit sites along the Ledge. While enjoying autumn weather and fall colors, children, families, youth groups, and adults can fill their personal passports with stamps. 
Participants will receive a stamp in their Passport at each site, and those visiting at least five sites will receive a patch. Participants visiting two sites will receive a certificate.

Participants may visit staffed ledge sites (Dodge County Ledge Park, Ledge View Nature Center, Calumet County Park, and High Cliff State Park) on any day that the facilities are open. Stamping dates for the other sites are:

Oakfield Ledge Natural Area: Oct. 2 (9:00 to 12:00) Added Date

Kiekhaefer Park: Oct 9 (9:00 to 12:00)

Brochures with more details, and passports are available at the Fond du Lac, Oakfield, Lomira Horicon, Waupun, and Ripon Public Libraries, and at Calument County Park Office. Patches and certificates may be obtained at the Fond du Lac Public Library Children's desk, at the October 13, 7:00 pm Fond du Lac Audubon meeting in Room 0-104 of Moraine Park Technical Institute, or at the November 13th family program at Theisen Middle School.  All ledge explorers are invited to view slides of the passport program in action at 9:30 am prior to the 10:00 am family presentation. 

For more information, contact Kathleen Stetter: 920-872-2250 or stetter@centurytel.net or Diana Beck: 920-922-7931 or dbeck7931@charter.net or visit www.fdlaudubon.org.

October 9, 9 am–noon, Kiekhaefer Park; Facilitators: Earl & Carol Jewett

Click here for brochure:
Passport to the Ledge brochure

Click here for passport:
Passport

Passports are available at the Fond du Lac Public Library Children's Section, at Oakfield, Horicon, Lomira, and Waupun Public Libraries, and at Calumet County Park office.
Ledge Explorer program underway
In celebration of the “Year of the Niagara Escarpment,” declared by the Wisconsin State Legislature, Fond du Lac County Audubon is sponsoring a program that promotes family visits to nine ledge sites during 2010. Participants will receive a stamp in their Passport at each site, and those visiting at least five sites will receive a patch. Participants visiting two sites will receive a certificate. The nine ledge sites include Dodge County Ledge Park, Oakfield Ledge State Natural Area (Breakneck Hill), Belle Reynolds School Forest, Hobbs Woods, Izaak Walton Property, Kiekhaefer Park, Ledge View Nature Center, Calumet County Park, and High Cliff County Park.
Participants may visit staffed ledge sites (Dodge County Ledge Park, Ledge View Nature Center, Calumet County Park, and High Cliff State Park) on any day that the facilities are open. Stamping dates for the other sites are:
• Breakneck Hill: May 23, 2-4:30 pm and June 12, 9:30 am–noon.
• Belle Reynolds School: June 20 and August 8, 11 am and 12:30 pm.
• Hobbs Woods: May 23 and September 18, 1–3:30 pm; May 16, 12–2 pm; and September 26, 10 am–1 pm.
• Izaak Walton: May 8, 9 am–noon and August 11, 11 am–3 pm.
• Kiekhaefer Park: May 1 and October 9, 9 am–noon.
Generous donations from Mid-States Aluminum and Fond du Lac Rotary Club and sponsorship from Mid-America Geographic Foundation, NERN (Niagara Escarpment Information Network), Kiwanis of Fabulous Fond du Lac, and McLean-Cowan Graphic Design, have made Fond du Lac County Audubon’s Passport to the Ledge Program a reality.
The Passports, designed by Evelyn McLean-Cowan of McLean-Cowan Graphic Design, provide a fun way to learn about exploring the ledge and include space for a stamp as each site is visited. Theresa Cowan, a graduate of FHS and a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, did the illustration for the cover and the patch.
Brochures with more details, and the Passports are available at the Fond du Lac, Oakfield, and Waupun Public Libraries, and at Calument County Park. For more information, contact Kathleen Stetter: 920-872-2250 or stetter@centurytel.net or Diana Beck: 920-922-7931 or dbeck7931@charter.net or visit www.fdlaudubon.org.

Livin’ on the Ledge Program
The Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac is offering a summer program that complements Audubon’s Passport to the Niagara Escarpment. The free program is open to 7 to 10 year olds on either Tuesdays, July 13–August 3 (9:30–10:30 am) or Saturdays, July 17–August 7 (9–10 am). Children will learn about caves, rocks, plants, and effigy mounds, as they discover the natural wonders of the Ledge and how it shaped lives of people in our community. For more information or registration contact the Children’s Museum: 920-929-0707 or www.childrensmuseumfdl.org.

The Wisconsin State Legislature proclaimed 2010 as
“Year of the Niagara Escarpment.” Consistent with
this year-long celebration, Fond du Lac County
Audubon is sponsoring a “Passport to the Ledge”
program for area children. The Niagara Escarpment,
commonly called “the Ledge,” is a unique and
important resource that is intermittently exposed in
Wisconsin from Mayville to Rock Island in Door
County. Although high ground projects prominently
above the city of Fond du Lac, many residents, especially
children, are unaware of the geologic, ecologic,
historic, and recreational resources contained in this
natural feature. One purpose of our “Passport to the
Ledge” program is to disseminate Ledge information
more widely, and thereby instill an appreciation for
the value of this distinctive land form.
In addition to promoting Ledge appreciation,
the Passport program will provide an opportunity
and reward for children’s greater connection with
nature and outdoor activities. Such recreation is
considered important for children’s emotional and
physical health. The Passport program will encourage
visitation to a variety of sites along the Ledge, and
hopefully families will return for continued enjoyment
of these areas.

If you are willing to assist with this program, contact site facilitators or Passport committee members (Kathleen Stetter; 920-872-2250 or Stetter@Centurytel.net;
Amy Haak, haakprosser@milwpc.com;
Evelyn McLean-Cowan, evelyn@mcleancowan.com)