- Trails are open 24/7 at no charge. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh themed TRAIL TALES Storybook Walk.
What’s Happening: Meet the Sea Lamprey
In the month-long run-up to Halloween, Crossroads at Big Creek has celebrated traditional “spooky” creatures—bats, owls, and vultures. Though these animals have long been associated with evil in folklore, they are beneficial predators that do enormous good for the environment.
But this week, our focus shifts to a truly menacing creature—one that really is destructive and anything but beneficial: the Sea Lamprey!
As part of our Fish Tales Series, Crossroads will offer two free showings of the award-winning documentary Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery on Thursday, November 6, at 6:00 PM and again at 1:00 PM on Friday, November 7.
According to the film’s promotional material, Fish Thief uncovers the mystery behind the near disappearance of the most prized fish in the Great Lakes—the largest freshwater eco-system on Earth. This ecological collapse devastated jobs, businesses, towns, tribal communities, and First Nations across Canada and the United States.
While overfishing, dam construction, and industrial pollution had already taken a toll, fish began vanishing even in remote areas. Scientists eventually discovered the culprit: the most destructive aquatic invader ever to enter the Great Lakes—the Sea Lamprey. Their relentless efforts to control this invasive species continue to shape the region’s economic future and serve as a global warning about the sustainability of natural resources.”
Each screening will be followed by a live Q&A featuring Lindsey Haskin, Film Director;
Andrea Miehls, Communications Associate, Great Lakes Commission; Lee Haasch, Algoma Charter Captain; and Dennis Hickey, Baileys Harbor Commercial Fisherman
Admission is free, but space is limited. To reserve your ticket, call 920-746-5895, scroll down to the bottom of this article, or visit www.crossroadsatbigcreek.orghttps://crossroadsatbigcreek.org/events-calendar/month/2025-11/
As an added attraction, visitors can view a live Sea Lamprey on display! This primitive, eel-like fish lacks jaws, scales, and even bones—but it has a circular mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth. Using its suction-cup mouth, a lamprey latches onto fish to feed on their blood and body fluids. A lamprey literally sucks the life out of other fishes. So the 1950s, Sea Lamprey populations had decimated Lake Trout, Whitefish, and Chub, causing a massive collapse of Great Lakes ecosystems.
Other programs this week include Saturday Science: “Hexagons”, the Monday afternoon Master Gardeners’ “Growing Together” Series, featuring a webinar on establishing Bee Lawns, and Environmental Exploration afterschool on Tuesday will include games and activities about Food Webs.
Crossroads at Big Creek offers these programs and open our trails to all, every day, free of charge thanks to the generosity of donors and supporting foundations.
– 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
