UNCOMMONLY FINE WRITING
Thankful for Door County Recreation
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. This week, we are thankful for recreation, which includes a host of activities which are, according to Google’s English dictionary, “done for enjoyment when one is not working.” We at Crossroads […]
Read MoreSearching for Evidence to Indicate Prehistoric Habitation
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. During Thanksgiving Week, we at Crossroads express our heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of caring for our preserves. In a way, “preserves” isn’t quite accurate. When we acquired our land, […]
Read MoreGrateful for Clean Air
We at Crossroads at Big Creek have much for which to be thankful, so we are dedicating November to celebrating the wonderful environmental services from which we benefit and which we endeavor to protect. This week (and always) we are […]
Read MoreInternational Observe the Moon Night 2022
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. The first of October will be a very special day for Crossroads and the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society (DPAS) and people across the globe who will participate in a celebration of lunar […]
Read MoreWisconsin Bow Hunting Season Begins
Outdoor Report By Wisconsin DNR The first opportunity to pursue deer this fall is with the opening of the archery and crossbow deer season which began on Saturday, Sept. 17. The archery and crossbow season runs through Jan. 8, 2023. […]
Read MoreDoor Peninsula Astronomical Society’s Astronomy Day
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. At Crossroads at Big Creek, the fall archaeology and astronomy programs are underway, and curiously, the dissimilar initiatives have a great deal in common. Our team of professional archaeologists and […]
Read MoreIda Bay Day
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. Crossroads at Big Creek kicks off the 2022 Fall Archaeological Experience with “IDA BAY DAY, A Celebration at the Trailhead” on Saturday, September 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at our […]
Read MoreWild Ones of the Door Peninsula to Offer Traditional Monarch Tagging Program
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. A few, but not many, monarch butterflies have been fluttering above the meadows and fields at Crossroads. That may change soon. So Crossroads is collaborating with the Wild Ones of […]
Read MoreCompelling Quintet Stories
By Jim Berkenstock, Midsummer’s Music Artistic Director From the very beginning, Midsummer’s Music has made a point of presenting programs featuring pieces with varied instrumentation. We have done this for the sake of variety and interest. We sometimes say that […]
Read MoreWildflowers Need Dark Skies
By Coggin HeeringaInterpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. With August winding down and the sun setting a bit earlier each day, members of the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society are increasing their efforts in KEEPING THE DOOR DARK. Their monthly […]
Read MoreBrookfield East Student Wins 2023 State Park Vehicle Admission Sticker Design Contest
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced that Brookfield East High School senior Brooke Salomone is the winner of the 2023 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission sticker design contest. Salomone’s design features a compass with different recreational themes available […]
Read MoreNew Food Options Abound Throughout Peninsula
Despite Obvious Challenges, 36 New Ventures Debut 2020-2022 By Marise Redmann Find this article in the 2022 Door County GO! Guide. It could have been all that pacing the home front last year that got people thinking, or maybe the […]
Read MoreSummer Explorers — Crickets & Other Invertebrates
By Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. This time of year at Crossroads at Big Creek, any time of day, but especially in the evening, the cricket chorus can be quite musical. And folks who participate in upcoming […]
Read MoreWhat We All Need
By Jim Berkenstock, Artistic Director, Midsummer’s Music Musical Fireworks, Passionate Outbursts, Stunning Virtuosity …. Only a few performances remain until our early August break, but Jeepers—are they dynamite! I just came from a rehearsal of our Lush and Thrilling Romantic Poetry program […]
Read MoreThe Peninsula Music Festival’s 70th Season Symphony Series
BY KENNETH KAPP, Shepherd Express, Milwaukee, Wis. The 70th Anniversary Season of the Peninsula Music Festival began Oct. 1, 2021, and wraps-up August 2-20, 2022, with the Symphony Series featuring nine spectacular symphonic concerts. Christoph Ptack, PMF’s President and Chief Executive […]
Read MoreOak Gall Reminds Us of Inspiring Words Which Changed History
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. On July 3 back in 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary […]
Read MoreEnglish Connections and a Close Call
By Jim Berkenstock Our English Connections program, which starts with the first of four concerts this Thursday, is “connected” largely by one person—Charles Villiers Stanford. Stanford and Edward Elgar were the two greatest English composers at the turn of the 19th into the […]
Read MoreStudents Participate at Crossroads on Earth Day
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. During the Sunrise Elementary School Earth Day last week, 219 students became “Crossroads Habitat Healers” by pulling buckthorn plants from the conifer forest near the Council Ring. They also participated in stream […]
Read MoreMay is Archaeology Month in Wisconsin
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. May is Archaeology Month in Wisconsin and Crossroads is celebrating. Truth is, we usually offer archaeology outreach in May, not due to a state designation, but because we are (reasonably) […]
Read MoreSpoil Mom This Mother’s Day
By Door County Coffee & Tea Co. Mother’s Day is almost here, and while we believe moms should be celebrated every single day, Mother’s Day is just a day dedicated to Mom and all her favorite things! We have put […]
Read MoreWildflowers, Weeds and Seeds
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. April Showers bring May “Wildflowers, Weeds and Seeds,” which just happens to be the title of the first April Master Gardeners lecture, which will be presented by Door County naturalist, […]
Read MoreWatch Out For Mud: Share The Trails On Your Spring Adventures
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has sent out guidelines for keeping newly-opened trails as safe as possible for everyone. The signs of spring are hard to miss right now. Birds are chirping, seeds are sprouting and the trails are…muddy. […]
Read MoreKeeping the Door Dark
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek Some nights, the skies above our Astronomy Campus are so dark that our visitors can see the Milky Way. So, we at Crossroads at Big Creek want to keep our beautiful […]
Read MoreA Walk with Aldo
Crossroads at Big Creek has scheduled “A Walk with Aldo” for Saturday, March 5. In 2004, Gov. Jim Doyle signed legislation designating the first Saturday in March as Aldo Leopold Day in Wisconsin. At Crossroads at Big Creek, we started celebrating Aldo Leopold Day in 2007. […]
Read MoreValentine’s Day Fun With Door County Coffee
Valentine’s Day is upon us, and this is the perfect time to make this loving holiday special for all your Valentine’s! From easy crafts to do with the kids, perfect coffee-filled gifts for someone special and plenty of fun and […]
Read MoreCrossroads Crosses a Fundraising Bridge
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek Crossroads at Big Creek is thrilled to announce that, thanks to an outpouring of community support, we have raised the funds needed to replace two of our aging bridges – the North Bridge and […]
Read MoreWinter Fun in Door County
By Door County Coffee & Tea Co. With Winter upon us, we are in for a few months of colder temperatures, beautiful snowfalls, and lots of good coffee! People often think Door County does not have much to offer in […]
Read MorePrying into the Secret Lives of Great Lakes Fishes
By Coggin Heeringa, Crossroads Program, Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. At Crossroads’ next Fish Tales Lecture, we’ll learn how the latest acoustic telemetry technology enables fisheries professionals to pry into the secret life of fish. Dr. Chuck Krueger, founder and Director Emeritus […]
Read MoreDoor County Peninsula Trip Interests Many – September 1925
Jansky Tells of Trip to Wonderland of North; Explains Trails to Take By Nelson Jansky – Wisconsin State Journal, September 1925 The way up at the “tip of the thumb” on the map of Wisconsin on any Sunday during pleasant […]
Read MoreSnow Activities at Crossroads
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. It’s a tad late to dream of a white Christmas, but we at Crossroads are dreaming of a white winter. The snow last week was glorious, and we know that […]
Read MoreUpcoming Events at Crossroads at Big Creek
By Coggin Heeringa, Program Director/Naturalist, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc. While 2021 was a difficult year in many ways, for space exploration, it was extraordinary. So, this week, Crossroads and the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society will shed light (visible and […]
Read MoreA Special Message from Jim Berkenstock of Midsummer’s Music
By Jim Berkenstock, Midsummer’s Music, Board President and Artistic Director “Something extremely unusual is happening on the music scene in our area.” These are the words of Warren Gerds, Critic at Large for the Green Bay PressGazette, writing recently of […]
Read MoreThe Perfect Holiday Entertaining Guide
By Door County Coffee Co. Just think…snow falling outside, dusting the pine trees white…a hot mug of Door County Christmas in your favorite cup, the fireplace roaring, and Burl Ives in the background singing out your favorite carols. This truly […]
Read MorePeninsula Players Theatre Announces 2022 Season
By Linda Fortunato, Artistic Director It is my pleasure to share with you the lineup for Peninsula Players Theatre’s 87th season and my first as Artistic Director. Throughout my history with the Players, I’ve always looked forward to the seasonannouncement […]
Read MoreBirch Creek is Performing Brilliantly Because of You
By Mona Christensen, Executive Director The Steve and Jackie Kane Chair In the radiant spirit of the season, we are thankful for you! Your vote of confidence formed the foundation for an awe-inspiring year as we reimagined Birch Creek during this transitional […]
Read MoreMake a Lasting Impression on Giving Tuesday
By Peggy Lott, Secretary of the Board, Midsummer’s Music, Ltd. Haven’t we been through a difficult time? What a struggle, what grief, what darkness we have all endured. But one thing I am particularly grateful for is the effort that […]
Read MoreGreat Wedding Cuisine: Always a Feature of Northern Haus Events
By Jude Genereaux The recently created “Northern Haus” in Sister Bay stands ready to host just about any event guests may envision: from weddings to business gatherings, art fairs, bachelor/bachelorette parties, family reunions – even for culinary classes, wine tasting […]
Read MoreEnjoy “The Night of Wonder” at Crossroads on Dec. 5
by Coggin Heeringa “The Night of Wonder.” In answer to many inquiries: Yes!! We will again offer a candlelit walk for folks to see Crossroads in a different light on Sunday, December 5, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. (The weather […]
Read MoreMy Memories of Christkindlmarkt in Bavaria
By Pipka Ulvilden It was cold. The snow was three feet deep. The Alps were looming in the background, dark and foreboding. The moon cast a blue light on the frozen lake. There was a cold quiet stillness in the […]
Read MoreSue Jarosh, Children’s Book Writer
Sue Jarosh is a well-known personality in Door County. For 30 years, she and husband Joe busily tended the Jacksonport Craft Cottage – a popular shop on the main drag, stocked with craft supplies and handcrafted goods from all over […]
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