Many consider Memorial Day Weekend to be the beginning of Summer. For us at Crossroads, it means the school year is winding down, and we are entering a different phase of programming. This summer, we will offer a variety of programs and events for learners of all ages.
We start this weekend by joining forces with other environmental organizations by participating in the 2024 Door County Festival of Nature. A hike/paddle program will be offered at the Big Creek and Cove Estuary Preserves, and our staff will also lead hikes at other sites.
Additionally, on Saturday afternoon, Crossroads will offer a free Family Fossil Hunt from 1:00-4:00. At this drop-in event, each participating family will be given a Door County fossil identification pamphlet and will join the naturalist to develop the “fossil-hunting eye” (pattern recognition skills) by hunting for and learning to identify Silurian fossils near the entrance of the Collins Learning Center at Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
During the first week of June, Crossroads will partner with the Master Gardeners, Wild Ones-Door Peninsula, and the Sturgeon Bay Library to present two evening programs. On June 4, at 6:30, award-winning nature writer Emily Stone will present “Natural Connections.” The following night, Crossroads will host the library-sponsored program” Unappreciated Pollinators,” a live webinar presentation featuring Melinda Meyer.
Our First Friday Series of free, fun, family-friendly performances held at our Outdoor Amphitheatre will, obviously, begin on the first Friday of June at 5:30 pm with a con5:30 picturing Family Musician Randy Peterson.
Appropriately, on June 15, the 15th Anniversary Crossroads Trail Run will welcome runners and walkers of all ages and abilities to choose a 2k, 5k, or 10k distance. For more details and to register (or volunteer), visit the Crossroads at Big Creek website.
This summer, Crossroads is proud to present a “Resources of Landowners Series,” during which resource professionals from a variety of organizations will discuss restoration practices and resources. The first event will be on June 4th. Mike Grimm presents the program “Introduction to Land Management Plans and Bio-Inventories.” Each of the seven presentations will occur at the Collins Learning Center at Crossroads.
During much of the summer, Crossroads will offer environmental programs at the Boys and Girls Club summer camps, but we also offer free family programming with Summer Naturalist Joan Wilke and Make and Take Workshops, which will start in early July.
Out in the preserves, while local students are graduating, tadpoles in the ponds and swales are in various stages of metamorphosis. Hopefully, they will graduate to adult frogs and toads before the ephemeral ponds dry up for the summer.
We worried in early spring that we might not even have frogs this year, but late-season precipitation recharged the ponds…. or now. For how long, we don’t know.
One might think that a pond destined to dry up would be the worst possible place for frogs to lay eggs. But no! Permanent ponds are the most productive habitats for spring-breeding frogs. Ponds that dry up every summer cannot support fish. It’s that simple. Tadpoles have a much better chance of surviving when predators are absent.
Although our summer program looks full, watch our website or follow us on Facebook for Pop-up Hikes and other educational and recreational opportunities.
Saturday, May 25
1:00-4:00 Family Fossil Hunt
At this drop-in event, each participating family will be given a Door County fossil identification pamphlet and will join the naturalist to develop the “fossil-hunting eye” (pattern recognition skill) by hunting for and learning to identify Silurian fossils in near the entrance of the Collins Learning Center. Meet in front of the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.
Photo courtesy of Crossroads at Big Creek