Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (January 30, 2023) – Door County Reads began this week. Sponsored by the Door County Library and its Friends of Door County Libraries support group, Door County Reads is an annual exploration and celebration of a specific book. And since the inception of this event, Crossroads at Big Creek has participated. This year, because the book, “Raft of Stars,” is an outdoor adventure, Crossroads programs will focus on outdoor adventure as well.
Our contribution to Door County Reads will be offered on Sunday, February 5. At 1:00 p.m., our Program Director Corey Basten will lead a guided hike through the trails of Crossroads to discuss human and animal survival in winter. Then at 3:00, Mike Madden will present Survival Skills, starting indoors with a talk and then moving outdoors for a demonstration on fire starting.
The meetings of the Junior Nature Club are always an adventure, and this week, puppeteer Nancy Hawkins will be back to present one of her charming puppet shows in the Lecture Hall at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Weather conditions allowing, the pre-school-aged children and their companions will have a short outdoor trek following the show.
On Friday, February 3, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Crossroads will host a Campfire at our Council Ring. Participants will not experience the frightening feeling of being lost in the woods because the path will be lit by luminaires, but at the fire, in addition to our usual marshmallows, as a tip of the hat to “Raft of Stars,” we will have a few cans of tuna available for tasting. Nature will provide the spooky night sounds — possibly courting owls.
Saturday morning, for folks who think they might want to embark on the adventure of keeping bees, the Door County Beekeepers Club is hosting an informative, interactive workshop from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., to teach participants about basic equipment, tools and techniques – how to choose the best hive location, how to obtain and install bees, and what to expect during the first year of beekeeping. All participants will receive half off a club membership. The workshop will be held at Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St. To register, email contact@doorcountybeekeepersclub.org. The $25 workshop fee partly supports restoration and pollinator plantings at Crossroads.
The first weekend of each month on Saturday afternoons, Crossroads will be highlighting community science projects with a workshop format we call Crossroads Science Academy. Families and learners of all age are invited to drop by the Collins Learning Center between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. to learn how use apps to document such things as weather conditions. (Hopefully, our conditions will not be quite as dire as those in “Raft of Stars.”)
But speaking of community science and using apps, Bird Club will meet on Tuesday, February 7, at 6:30 p.m. While not an organized club (at this point), folks who want to learn about birds and especially those who want to be get involved in eBird are encouraged to attend.
The bird profile for February will be “Northern Cardinals—the Valentine Birds.” The main program, presented by Program Director Corey Batson, will be “From Feathered Caps to Conservation Apps,” an overview of how the abuses of the plumage trade led to bird conservation. This program is free and open to the public. It meets in the Lecture Hall.
On February 9, Door County Master Gardeners will present a live Zoom presentation: “How to Make Your Garden a Pollinator’s Paradise.” Speaker Mark Dwyer will explain how even small gardens can support native pollinators through the incorporation of appropriate plantings. Dwyer will discuss ways to increase the “pollinator appeal” of your landscape. View the program on the big screen in the Collins Learning Center or on-line. For a Zoom invitation, contact info.crossroadsatbigcreek.org. Please put DCMGA in subject line.
Finally, Ski-for-Free is a wonderful outdoor adventure. We will open this weekend if there is adequate snow to groom. Visit www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org for trail conditions and hours of operation.
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