- Trails are open 24/7 at no charge. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh themed TRAIL TALES Storybook Walk.
What’s Happening: Underwater Exploration
The award-winning documentary film “All Too Clear”: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes will be shown at Crossroads at Big Creek this Thursday, January 30 at 6:30 pm, as part of their Fish Tales Lecture Series educational program. Through stunning never shown underwater video, the film describes the impact of invasive zebra and quagga mussels on the Great Lakes. Healthy Water Door County is sponsoring the screening to honor the memory of Dick Egan (one of the members of the fund’s Advisory Board along with his wife Annie) and to achieve its mission “to protect our community’s human, environmental, and economic health by guarding against threats to our water.” Thanks to the Women’s Fund of Door County, the film’s director & producer, Yvonne Drebert, will be present for a question-and-answer session following the showing.
Tickets for the event have been sold out, but thanks to our partnership with the Door County Library, the community will be able to view the film via a zoom link found on the event date of the library’s event calendar on their webpage.
Most folks have heard of zebra mussels. In his book “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” Dan Egan wrote: “Zebra mussels proved to be an expensive nuisance indeed for industries and cities that depend on water, costing billions of dollars over the past quarter century…. yet the ecologic damage is minor in comparison to their cousin, the quagga mussel.
“Unlike zebra mussels which typically aren’t found at depths beyond 60 feet, quaggas have been plucked from waters as deep as 540 feet. This depth tolerance, coupled with the fact that quaggas don’t require a hard surface to attach to, means they can blanket vast swaths of lake bottom. Zebra mussels also only feed during warmer months. Quaggas filter nutrients out of the water year-round.”
“’All Too Clear’ is providing an unprecedented peek into the Great Lakes and revealing important and never-before-seen information on the behavior of fish in their highly dynamic and rapidly changing environments,” says Dr. Andrew Muir, science director at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. “The incredible footage captured by Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert will help scientists communicate the issues associated with the reengineering of our aquatic ecosystems that has unfolded over the past several decades because of invasive mussels,” continued Muir.
Crossroads will sponsor several youth programs this week and we invite families to drop in during open hours to take advantage of our Nature Play Area (located in front of the fish wall).
And as soon as we have enough snow to create a base, our Ski for Free program will be offered. Watch the ticker on the Crossroads website for trail conditions and Ski for Free information.
The first Monday of each month, Crossroads holds its Current (Ecological) Events Club, an ecological article discussion group, during which we deep dive into current ecological articles for lively discussions, new friendships, and deepening our understanding of the natural world! Not surprisingly, the topic this month will be “Quagga Mussels”. Folks can pick up a packet of selected articles at the front desk at the Collins Learning Center during open hours. But participants are not required to read them before the gathering, and those who cannot participate are welcome to pick up the article packets.
– 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.
Upcoming Activities
Wednesday, January 29
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.
Thursday, January 30
6:30 pm Fish Tales: “All Too Clear”
Documentary film on the impacts of Quagga mussels in the Great Lakes
Directed by the husband-and-wife filmmaking team, Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert, the immersive film uses cutting-edge underwater drones to explore how quadrillions of tiny invasive mussels, known as quaggas, are re-engineering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes at a scale not seen since the glaciers. To capture this epic change, the pair spent more than 150 days filming underwater, making it the most ambitious underwater film ever made about the Great Lakes. Part scientific exploration, part natural history adventure – the film showcases freshwater wildlife and environments like never before.
Q&A with Filmmaker Yvonne Drebert following the film!
Sponsored by Healthy Water Door County to Honor the Memory of Dick Egan with support from Women’s Fund Door County.
Tickets are sold out, so to participate remotely via video, go to https://doorcountylibrary.org/event on January 30, to find the link.
Saturday, February 1
2:00 pm Science Saturday – Fit the Bill
This family program is geared towards elementary students but learners of all age are invited to learn how the various shapes of birds’ beaks determine their food preferences. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to the generosity of donors like you!
Monday, February 3
1:30 – 2:30 pm Current Ecological Events Club
Love reading? Join our ecological article club, where we deep dive into current ecological articles for lively discussions, new friendships, and deepening our understanding of the natural world! This adult discussion group will meet each month to review articles about current ecological issues. The topic this month will be “Quagga Mussels.” Folks can pick up a packet of selected articles at the front desk at the Collins Learning Center during open hours.
Drop ins always welcome! Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration not required. Open to the public and free thanks to the generosity of donors like you!
Tuesday, February 4
3:30 p.m. Environmental Exploration – Wildlife Trails
This outdoor program is geared toward elementary students but learners of all ages will venture into the preserve to look for wildlife trails. Indoor program if weather conditions are unfavorable. 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.
