Ever since we acquired a weed-filled abandoned orchard (a quarter century ago), Crossroads at Big Creek has been involved in restoration. Admittedly, we have made mistakes along the way, but we have endeavored to respond to emerging science, and this year, we are evaluating our recent efforts.
As part of our mission to inspire environmental stewardship, we are committed to showcasing and sharing what we have learned and resources we have encountered. So, this summer, we are offering a "Resources for Landowners" lecture series.
On Thursday, July 26, at 5:30 pm, Amy Schaeffer of Pheasants Forever will describe how, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) and the Wisconsin DNR, biologists from Pheasants Forever are helping implement wildlife habitat conservation on private lands with information and sometimes with financial assistance. This lecture will be of special interest to people who want to restore fallow fields or abandoned orchards, agricultural fields, or recent clearcuts.
Understand that, left unmanaged, fields are almost always temporary and that if fields are left un-mowed, trees and shrubs will take over. A fallow field will become a young forest within twenty-five or thirty years. This natural succession was desirable at once, but in this age of invasive species, the result will rarely provide quality wildlife habitat.
We at Crossroads have deliberately decided to maintain some field and shrubland habitats. In some cases, we must. Where electric transmission lines cross our property, we are required to keep our vegetation far below the wires. But we also value this increasingly rare habitat for grassland birds and other wildlife.
When Europeans first settled the Door Peninsula, forests covered most of the land. However, during the Lumber Era, these woodlands were decimated, and many settlers established farms. While some areas of Door County still support agriculture, many places could not be successfully cultivated, and farms were abandoned.
Upland birds such as sparrows, American woodcocks, golden-winged warblers, eastern towhees, brown thrashers, and pheasants have thrived in areas of brushy cover for more than a century, but their habitat has decreased in recent times due to development or forest succession.
We care about the habitat and wildlife diversity on our three properties, so we now try to maintain or enhance them. We know that many landowners and managers share our commitment, and it is indeed a commitment, both labor-intensive and expensive.
Our speaker will address the ways and means landowners can achieve the goal of developing wildlife habitat, and anyone interested in wildlife will learn from this free presentation.
Crossroads also offers Summer Nature Programs on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 1:00. All are welcome, and reservations are unnecessary.
Monday July 22
10:00 am Summer Nature Programs – Insect Safari
Join our summer naturalist for a free family-oriented activity. Learn the secrets of insects as they transform from egg to adult. Hand lenses and collecting nets will be provided. Reservations are not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
Tuesday, July 23
10:00 am - 11:00 Summer Nature Programs – Fantastic Flyers
Join our summer naturalist for a free family-oriented activity. Experience the mysteries of migration in our fields and woodlands. Reservations are not required. Meet the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
Wednesday, July 24
10:00 am Summer Nature Programs – Finding Fossils
Join our summer naturalist for a free family-oriented activity.
Discover how hard-shelled creatures from an ancient sea became the fossils we find at Crossroads. Reservations are not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
Thursday, July 25
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Crossroads Landowner Series: Pheasants Forever
Amy Schaefer will speak on Pheasants Forever, describing the programs and the resources they offer landowners and how they connect Door County landowners with the tools and resources available for restoring and managing the natural resources found on their land. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.
