- Trails are open 24/7 at no charge. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh themed TRAIL TALES Storybook Walk.
What’s Happening: Tadpoles and Marsh Marigolds
This week at Crossroads, we expect many visitors will be drawn to our riparian wetlands. Young explorers will be delighted to discover tadpoles and tiny frogs, while hikers of all ages will enjoy the stunning display of marsh marigolds blooming along the lower stretches of Big Creek.
Marsh marigolds—also known as cowslips—belong to the buttercup family, which includes roughly 275 species. Early botanists, possibly Carl Linnaeus himself, assigned the genus name Ranunculus, Latin for “little frog.” The name reflects the plants’ shared preference with amphibians for moist, marshy environments.
At Crossroads, marsh marigolds and several other buttercup species bloom along the floodplains and wet margins of Big Creek, as well as in seeps and the tributary. These wetlands are often ephemeral—seasonal pools that exist only for a short period each year and may dry out completely by midsummer. But for developing frogs, that’s ideal.
Because these temporary wetlands typically do not support fish, tadpoles face fewer predators. Additionally, the shallow water warms quickly in spring, accelerating tadpole growth and metamorphosis. These habitats also tend to host fewer long-term aquatic competitors, providing young amphibians with more resources. The primary challenge, of course, is timing—tadpoles must complete their development before the wetlands dry up.
Marsh marigolds and their buttercup relatives feature glossy yellow petals that look like they’ve been shellacked—an appearance that makes them especially attractive to pollinators. Their vibrant color comes from pigments, but the high-gloss shine is due to microscopic layers of air beneath the petal surface that reflect sunlight like tiny mirrors.
As Paul Simons observed in The Guardian, “Buttercup flowers also track the sun. On cold days, the petals form a cup shape like a satellite dish, collecting solar energy from the sunshine and warming up the flowers, which makes them even more inviting to insects.”
Whether it’s the gleam of golden petals or the charm of tiny frogs, we hope something inspires you to visit Crossroads this spring—perhaps for a hike or to participate in one of our educational programs.
– by Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist
For more information, please check out our Crossroads calendar or stop by the Collins Learning Center and pick up a printed calendar. Our trails are open all day every day, free of charge, thanks to donors like you!
Crossroads at Big Creek Learning Center and Nature Preserve is located at 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay. Crossroads is a 501(c)3 organization committed to inspiring stewardship of the environment through education, research, and outdoor experiences. We welcome your support.
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