- Trails are open 24/7 at no charge. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh themed TRAIL TALES Storybook Walk.
What’s Happening: Breaking Dormancy
It feels like Crossroads at Big Creek is breaking dormancy as we spring into Spring Break Week by offering an array of lectures, family programs and restoration opportunities. We kick things off with Door County Science on Tap Program, “SUCKERS” featuring Karen Murchie of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium at Bridge Up Brewery on Thursday, March 20.
On Tuesday, March 25, Master Gardeners and Wild Ones bring Soil Scientist Jamie Patton to our lecture hall. And a Fish Tales Lecture is scheduled for Thursday, March 27.
Then, because for many schools, the final week of March is Spring Break, we have planned School’s Out Excursions for young people and their families.
Saturday Science starting at 2:00 on March 22 will be “Birdy Olympics” in which families will learn some amazing physical attributes of birds by comparing them to their own abilities. Monday, at 10:00, families will experience “Watery Fun in the Lab” and Tuesday at 10:00, the School’s Out program will be “Birds of Prey.” Representatives from the Open Door Bird Sanctuary will bring several live raptors and following the program, families will have the opportunity to dissect an owl pellet.
“Soil and Your Garden” is the topic for the Wild Ones/Master Gardener Lecture on Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. If you are planning a pollinator garden, a landscaping or restoration project on your property, or interested in growing your own food, but aren’t sure your soil is up to the task? No worries! Jamie Patton, soil scientist, will discuss ways to test and amend your soils to get the productive garden you’ve always wanted. From in-ground plantings to raised bed and container gardening, she’ll cover it all!
Finally, this month’s Fish Tales Lecture, “Fisheries of the Menominee Nation,” on Thursday, March 27, at 7:00 pm, will focus on lake sturgeon. For the people of Sturgeon Bay and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, sturgeon have always held deep cultural and ecological significance.
Ann Jinkins and Maggie Weir explained in their book Sturgeon Bay that French explorer Fr. Claude Allouez, who wintered with the Potawatomi in 1676, was the first describe the “La Portage des Esturgeons,” apparently referring to the abundance of sturgeon in the bay.
In the book A Brief History of Door County [and it is brief, having been written in 1881], Charles I. Martin wrote as follows: “The name of that arm or bay off Green Bay, now known as “Sturgeon Bay,” originated among the Menominee Indians. They so named it because its outline being about the shape of a sturgeon and particularly on account of that species… being so plentiful in these waters.”
Last year, the Sturgeon Bay Library selected Braiding Sweetgrass, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants as the Door County Reads book. Crossroads was honored to host the Virtual Author Talk featuring Robin Wall Kimmerer, who described a land ethic rooted in generations of ancestral wisdom and gratitude. She explained that we can create a more sustainable environment through reciprocity—by taking and using resources responsibly while also giving back.
Then last fall, again in collaboration with the Sturgeon Bay Library, we participated in the Wisconsin Science Festival, which in 2024 focused on agriculture. Inspired by Kimmerer’s work and recognizing that the ancestors of the Menominee once lived—at least seasonally—on each of Crossroads’ three preserves, we offered the program Agriculture of the Menominee.
Frank Kutka discussed how Menominee agricultural practices have been rediscovered in the forests of our region, and Jacob Grignon, Cultural Resource Protection Officer for Menominee Historic Preservation, inspired us by sharing how his people view their relationship with plants.
Mark Holey, organizer of our Fish Tales Lecture Series, attended both programs. As a retired fisheries biologist, he had worked with several tribes on fisheries-related issues. Through this work, he became acquainted with Jeremy Pyatskowit, Director of Environmental Services for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, who has been involved in a sturgeon restoration project, and invited him to speak. During this lecture, Pyatskowit will share the Menominee creation story to help us understand the significance of the fisheries project he oversees.
In other activities, because it is spring break, Junior Nature Club will welcome siblings, cousins and learners of all ages for a one-hour experience in nature play. Habitat Healers, folks who want to get involved in our restoration projects will meet Saturday March 22 on to learn about a pre-burn biotic index survey and help to identify or learn how to identify plants.
Fish…soil, birds…water …restoration… learning AND FUN! We are springing forward.
– 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.
Upcoming Activities
