Call the Fish Veterinarian

By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc.

Question: What do you do if you catch a fish with a virus? Answer: Call the fish veterinarian. (And, really, you shouldn’t use a virus to catch a fish; you should use a lure.)

 Actually, that is not a joke and we now all know that viruses are not funny.

Largemouth Bass Virus is responsible for a number of fish die-offs in the southeastern part of the United States, and during the last couple years, smallmouth bass infected with the virus have been caught in Green Bay just off Door County.

So, for the final presentation of the 2023 Crossroads Fish Tales Lecture Series, on Thursday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m., organizer Mark Holey invited Dr. Nicole Nietlisbach DVM, to present “Largemouth Bass Virus and Smallmouth Bass of Green Bay: Current Knowledge and Remaining Questions.”

Nietlisbach is a veterinarian for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and her responsibilities include providing health services and guidance to state fish hatcheries and spawning facilities, investigating wild fish kills, and answering questions from the public about fish health. Thursday, she will explain what anglers should do if they catch infected bass.

The health of smallmouth bass is of interest to those who fish and also to the local hospitality industry which significantly benefits from Door County’s reputation for being a top bass fishing location.

Because this month’s Book Club selection features Hope Jahren’s “Lab Girl” – part botany book about trees, part memoir recounting the difficulties women face in academic research and science, it is encouraging to notice that all of the presenters this week are women. (Crossroads Book Club takes place on the 4th Wednesday of every month September through April at 10:00 a.m. at the Collins Learning Center.)

Door County Master Gardeners, in collaboration with The Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula, will offer the lecture “Spring Woods Awakening” on Tuesday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. This will be a photo journey through the upland hardwoods with stunning images of wildflowers, birds, trees, shrubs, moths, butterflies, frogs, mushrooms and animals you might encounter from March to late June. ​Award-winning naturalist, author, and teacher Charlotte Lukes is an expert on mushrooms in addition to being a popular presenter. 

On Saturday, April 29 at 11:00 a.m., Master Gardeners and the Door County Seed Library bring Dora Leonardson to Crossroads to present a “Straw Bale Gardening Class.” She will explain the process from spring conditioning of the bales through harvest, as well as a drip watering system to take care of daily watering needs. This program will be of special interest to people who want to get into home gardening but haven’t been able to because their yard is too small, too rocky or too sandy. Straw bale gardening could be the answer. All are welcome at this free program.

Habitat Healers – volunteers who are involved in our restoration initiative – meet every Saturday morning from 9:00-11:00 a.m. We encourage individuals, families and groups to get involved — one Saturday or throughout the growing season. We provide equipment, work gloves and instruction. No need to pre-register; just show up dressed to work and to help heal our lands.

Tuesday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m., the Crossroads Bird Club meets. After a short program on “Warbler Mnemonics,” participants will venture into the preserve in search of migratory birds and fellowship. Bird Club is not an official organization, but rather a group of people who share a love for birds and for learning. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay.