“Creek Creatures” is this week’s Summer at Crossroads Series, and this time of year, the creatures of the creek (and wetlands and ponds) are active over, under, and on the water surface are among our most popular attractions.

Naturally, we love our birds and fish, but learners of all ages also are fascinated by the macroinvertebrates- the creatures without backbones that we can see without magnification are fascinating, in addition to being important indicators of stream health.

The week starts with a Tale. At 2 pm on Monday, June 29, Door County Librarian will read the storybook, ”Over and Under the Pond” by Kate Messner with art by Christopher Silas Neal. (And for those who can’t make the story time, the pages of this book will be posted on our Trail Tales storybook walk which starts at our West Trailhead.)

Journeys with Joan, our weekly family program will explore Great Lakes Fisheries at 2 pm on Tuesday, June 30, and hikers participating in Wandering Wednesday will surely observe creatures above, below, and at the surface of Big Creek and our ponds.

For our 2 pm Thursday Talk, our presenter will be Gretchen Recupero Schmelzer, who is a part of DNR WAV (Water Action Volunteers) program. She will explain how creek creatures are indicators to evaluate the health of a creek… perhaps better indicators, in fact, than occasional chemical tests.

And throughout the week… and the rest of summer, kids participating in Boys and Girls Club Camps and Doorway to Learning will probably be knee deep in the water, trying to capture (and release unharmed) creek creatures—all of which are unique and fascinating, though the “fan favorite creature” often is the amazing whirligig beetle, which kids discover,  is not easy to capture.

These incredibly fast macro-invertebrates live at the boundary above and below. As their name suggests, whirligigs tend to gather in clusters to spin around in tight circles, very nearly, but never quite colliding with each other.

These insects have divided eyes, enabling them to look over and under simultaneously, and they also are hyper-sensitive to vibrations, so they never crash into each other, yet are aware of struggling prey that drop into the water from above and of insects or predators swimming below.

And when they want to feed on dead creatures on the creek bottom, they trap a bubble under their wings enabling them to stay under water for a considerable time.

For protection, they give off a defensive scent to deter predators (though a few local species smell like green apples.)

But perhaps their best protection is that even the slightest vibration alerts them of danger from above.

Researchers suspect that they can detect wing vibrations and evade flying bats. Participants of our July 2 Nighttime Bat Hike at the Ida Bay Preserve will not be able to sense flapping wings, but hike leaders will have special equipment to detect the calls of these beneficial mammals. Reservations are required for this free event. Visit www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org to sign up.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Crossroads trails are open all day, every day free of charge.

– 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. Programs are free and our trails are open 24/7, 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) non-profit NGO supported by the community and committed to inspiring stewardship of the environment through education, research, and outdoor experiences. We welcome your support. 

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Upcoming Activities

Bird Survey @ Ida Bay

THEME: Creek Creatures 📚 TALE: “Over and Under the Pond” by Kate Messner

Tale: “Over and Under the Pond”

Journeys with Joan – Great Lakes Fisheries

Wandering Wednesday – Naturalist Led Hike

Talk: Creek Creatures

Nighttime Bat Hike

Nature Center Closed; Trails Open 24/7