The Ridges Sanctuary has tremendous plant diversity including native terrestrial orchids.  Following the idea that “lack of knowledge is as big a threat as any to sensitive species” (Brzeskiewicz 2000), The Ridges Sanctuary has the current research goal of developing institutionalized processes and protocols for the preservation and protection of native plant species.  Because of our organization’s deep-rooted relationship with orchids, it was determined that orchid research and recovery would be the priority of our endeavors.  This program will offer a brief summary of orchid biology and an overview of the research for restoration processes which we are currently working on, including an orchid inventory, trying to understand specific environmental conditions for orchid growth and reproduction, asymbiotic germination techniques, shade house orchid growth and determining the best possible restoration locations in our Hidden Brook living laboratory area and beyond.