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Happening
at the Crossroads:
August 23,
2010
by Coggin
Heeringa
It’s monarch butterfly time at Crossroads at Big Creek.
Monarchs
in all stages of development fill our flowery meadows. In the Collins
Learning Center, we have been larvae-sitting and are thrilled to report
that many of the caterpillars have metamorphosed into crystalides…
beautiful jade green studded with gold. We know that the gold
comes from a chemical in the milkweed plant, but just why a monarch
chrysalis has golden spots remains a beautiful mystery.
When our
caterpillars do become butterflies, they don’t really become adults,
exactly. The monarchs which develop this time of year do not mate and
lay eggs in Door County like their parent and grandparent butterflies
did. Instead, they fly to Mexico and spend the winter in evergreen
trees. Next spring, surviving late-summer butterflies probably will
mate in the Gulf Coast states and their offspring will start appearing
on the peninsula around Memorial Day.
We know this because of
tagging programs. Throughout the breeding range of the monarch,
volunteers tag the butterflies with little stickers. And, again this
year, Crossroads will host a Monarch Tagging Program sponsored by the
Northeastern Wisconsin Audubon Society on .Sunday, August 29,
from 1:30-3:30 pm
Ann Shebesta, “the Butterfly Lady of
Mischicot” will begin with a program in the lecture hall of the Collins
Learning Center, describing the remarkable life cycle and migration
behavior of the monarch butterfly. After the orientation and tagging
demonstration, participants will walk to the prairie to find the
monarchs.
The tagging program is offered in cooperation with
Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas. In the last 6 years,
participants in the NEW Audubon activity have netted, tagged and
released more 700 migrating monarch. Seven of these tagged monarchs
were recovered in Mexico. Each of them had flown more than 1,800
miles to reach their mountaintop sanctuary. If a Crossroads
monarch is recovered, the person who tagged it will recieve a
certificate telling how far that butterfly traveled.
This
year’s monarch population was at an all-time low because flooding,
hailstorms and landslides killed more than half of the overwintering
population. However, monarchs seem to be doing well in their breeding
range and we are proud that Crossroads is a ”re-fueling” place for
migrating butterflies. This program is free and open to all ages.
At
the same time as the butterfly program, the Door County Historical
Society will be holding a Raspberry Ice Cream Social in the Historical
Village at The Crossroads. We suggest that visitors take
advantage of both events! Netting butterflies can really build up an
appetite for ice cream sundaes. Come to think of it, Sundays can build
up an appetite for sundaes.
Crossroads
at Big Creek is a donor supported learning preserve welcoming learners
of all ages. The Collins Learning Center and Historical Village
(located at 2041 Michigan in Sturgeon Bay) are open
Monday-Thursday from 1:30-3:30. Rain barrels are available for purchase
whenever the building is open. Trails are open to the public; pets are
permitted if on a leash and under control.
Wednesday, August 25, 11:00
Family Program:Day at School
Learn
about a typical school day in a one room school. Children will
participate in a number of activities. Meet at the Vignes School in the
Historical Village at The Crossroads.
6:30 PM
Lecture: “Local Barns”
The
Door County Barn Project continues as Dr. William Laatsch, barn
historian and former UWGB Interim Provost & Vice Chancellor ,
presents a fascinating program on “Local Barns.” Then Mary Gaye Rank,
textile instructor at NWTC, will share information about quilt blocks
and color selection and describe the quilt block project. Collins
Learning Center.
Thursday, August 26, 11:00
Family Programs: The Rocky Planets
Learn
about Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars in this hands-on on activity. Make
an edible planet. (Please call ahead (746-5895) if your child has food
restrictions) Meet in the Collins Learning Center.
7pm
The DCIST Exotic Mapping Challenge
The
Door County Invasive Species Team invites the community to a
presentation in which Paul Mahlberg speaks on the presence of Eurasian
Water Milfoil on Kangaroo Lake. Then participants will learn the DCIST
mapping protocol and logistics of GPS technology in a short program by
Geocasher Ray Osinski. For more information, contact Marne Kaeske marne@ridgessanctuary.org
Friday, August 27, 7:00
Lecture : “Immune Health, Microbial Balance, Infectious Agents and Anitbiotics”
The
program on functional medicine begins with a social and refreshments at
6 pm. Dr. Tel Oren will speak and answer questions at 7 pm. A suggested
donation of $25. Lecture hall of the Collin Learning Center.
Sunday, August 29, 1:30-3:30
Raspberry Ice Cream Social and Tours in the Historical Village at the Crossroads.
Enjoy
a raspberry (or chocolate) sundae as you visit the historical building
in the The Village. Funds raised help the society with village
maintenance. Tours are free.
1:30
Monarch Butterfly Tagging
The
NEW Audubon invites learners of all ages to a program on monarch
butterflies in the Collins Learning Center. Following tagging
demonstrations, participants will net, tag and release migrating
monarch. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. The program will be
cancelled if it is raining.
Monday, August 30, 11:00
Family Program: Meet the Wolf
Are
wolves really big and bad? Big maybe. Join the naturalist for a videao
and activities celebrating wolves. Free. Collins Learning Center.
Tuesday, August 31, 11:00
Family Program: Explore the Prairie
The
praire planting at the Crossroads is a special habitat. Enjoy the tall
grasses, flowers and the insects who spend the summer in the fields.
Free. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.
Many of
the Past News articles may be retrieved from this
directory,
indexed and named in the following manner: 080101-news.htm
where
the first two numbers are the year, the second two the month and the
last two the date.
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