“Night Tree” is a cherished tradition at Crossroads at Big Creek. “Night Tree” is also a children’s book by Eve Bunting that tells the story of a family driving out "to where the quiet begins" to feed the wild creatures by decorating a tree in the forest. So our special holiday Science Saturday program on December 21 will share this story by the fireside, and then, families will hike to a secret place “where the quiet begins” in our forest to decorate a tree with bird food.
At Crossroads, we feed birds and wildlife not so much to help the creatures as to inspire young people to develop a lifelong love of nature and a desire to help the environment.
But when you consider it, the vision of our restoration efforts is “to create a landscape of healthy, diverse, and largely self-sustaining ecological communities, providing wildlife habitat for a variety of species.” In other words, our goal is to feed the wild creatures long into the future.
But inspiring children is and always has been part of Crossroads' mission, and we just learned that we received a special gift—a Cellcom Green Gift. Earlier this year, we created an activity center to help children become familiar with nature through hands-on interactive play and discovery.
Our young visitors have loved the activities, but the adult-sized tables are just a bit too tall to accommodate small people. Thanks to our Cellcom Green Gift, we can purchase child-sized tables. But don’t wait till the new furniture arrives. Harried parents and grandparents are encouraged to drop in for a nature play session whenever the Learning Center is open.
On Monday, December 23, we’ve scheduled a School’s Out Excursion, meaning that at 2:00 families will hike through the Big Creek preserve, visiting several Conifer Forests to learn how evergreens survive winter conditions. And if those winter conditions are really unpleasant, an indoor alternative will be offered.
The trails will remain open all day, every day of the year, free of charge, but on December 24 and 25, the Collins Learning Center will be closed.
Saturday, December 21 2:00 Saturday Science: Night Tree
Learners of all ages will enjoy this Crossroads tradition. Following a couple videos and a story by the fire, and participants will hike to a secret forest to decorate a tree for the birds and wildlife. Families who want to contribute to the Crossroads night tree might bring a bag of black oil sunflower seeds or cracked corn. Free and open to the public, Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
Monday, December 23
2:00 School’s Out Excursion: Hike to the Conifer Forest
This hike is designed for all ages and we encourage families to attend. We will visit different conifer forests and learn how conifer trees are adapted to survive in the weather. Indoor activities will be offered if weather is uncooperative. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay. Registration not required. Free and open to the public.
