This week, Crossroads at Big Creek will launch the 2025 Fish Tales Lecture Series on Thursday, January 23 at 7:00 pm with the program “Opportunities and Challenges of Restoring Native Prey Fishes to the Great Lakes.”  Then on Tuesday, January 25, at 6:30 pm, the Door County Master Gardener Association and Wild Ones-Door Peninsula will kick off their popular lecture series with the program “Going Wild in Door County Parks.”

Fish Tales, an educational program of Crossroads at Big Creek offered in collaboration with the Door County Library with support from Healthy Water Door County, is dedicated to “sharing the science of the Great lakes Fisheries.”  

So, we are privileged to host Dr. David “Bo” Bunnel, Director of the Coregonine Science at the Great Lakes Science Center, U.S, Geological Service in Ann Arbor, who oversees the science efforts to inform Coregonine restoration across the Great Lakes- which includes the planning and evaluation steps. Dr. Bunnel provides the science to aid in the restoration of native whitefish and cisco to state and tribal management agencies across the Great Lakes basin.  

Coregonine are a diverse group of fishes (including ciscoes) in the salmon family and as many as 11 species once occurred in the Great Lakes. Locals may know them as lake herring or chubs and remember when they were abundant in Lake Michigan.

But according to the United States Geologic Survey website “ciscoes declined dramatically between the 1920s and 1970s, due to overfishing, invasive species, and habitat loss. At least two species are now extinct, and several species no longer occur in several lakes. The whitefishes have been more resilient but have been undergoing their own declines in the past 20 years.”

Dr. Bunnel will share results of on-going research from several collaborating universities, agencies and tribes and will dive into developing the framework to restore native cisco species in the Great Lakes.

The in-person presentation will be held in the Collins Learning Center at Crossroads. To participate via Zoom or Facebook live, go to http://doorcountylibrary.org/event and go to January 23 for the link.

On Tuesday, at 6:30, Door County Parks Manager Tim Kazmierczak will present “Going Wild in Door County Parks,” the first program in the 2025 Door County Master Gardener/ Wild Ones Lecture Series. Tim Kazmierczak will discuss several environmental-friendly projects, including prairie installations, bat research, tree planting, and revamping lights at boat launches to increase dark skies. Refreshments and a Q & A session will be offered.

With all the media hype about the planets being aligned in January, lots of folks will be frustrated and disappointed to realize that in Wisconsin, only Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. But seeing them, or images of them, it is hard to comprehend the differences in their sizes. So, this week’s Saturday Science will be offered in collaboration with the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society. “The Planets in Comparison” – a hands-on activity to show the amazing scale of our solar System. This program is geared to elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome.

– 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 offering education, conducting research and land restoration, and providing outdoor experiences to inspire environmental stewardship in learners of all ages and from all backgrounds. We welcome your support. 

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Upcoming Activities

Wednesday, January 22

1:30 – 2:30 pm Wandering Wednesday – Naturalist-Led Hike

Join a naturalist-led hike. Easy walking. About an hour. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to our donors.

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Thursday, January 23

5:00 – 6:30 pm Fish Tales: Opportunities and Challenges of Restoring Native Prey Fishes to the Great Lakes

Dr. David “Bo” Bunnel (Research Fisheries Biologist, Great Lakes Science Center, United States Geological Service, Ann Arbor) “Opportunities and Challenges of Restoring Native Prey Fishes to the Great Lakes.” Bo will dive into developing the framework to restore native cisco species in the Great Lakes. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by Healthy Water Door County.

Join us in-person at Crossroads at Big Creek or via Zoom. To participate via ZOOM or Facebook Live, go to https://doorcountylibrary.org/event on the date of each talk, to find the link.

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Saturday, January 25

2:00 pm Science Saturday – Planets in Comparison

We will compare the sizes of the planets with a hands-on demo and short video. This weekly family program is intended for elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome. Sponsored by the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to the generosity of donors like you!

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Monday, January 27

1:30 – 3:00 pm Lecture: What is a Wetland?

This  presentation explores the various type of Wetlands found in Wisconsin and explains why wetlands are so important. About an hour. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to the generosity of donors like you!

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Tuesday, January 28

3:30 p.m. Environmental Exploration – Winter Flocks

Join us for this indoor program and find out why birds form winter flocks. This program is intended for elementary school students but is open to all ages. Meet in the lab at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to the generosity of donors like you.

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3:30 p.m. Wild Ones/ DCMG Program: Going Wild in Door County Parks

Tim Kazmierczak, Director of the Door County Parks will talk about native plant installations and other environmental projects planned for the parks and trails. Free and open to the public. Registration not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Sponsored by Door County Master Gardeners and Wild Ones – Door Peninsula Chapter