News – Door County Daily News

At Crossroads at Big Creek we celebrate the predictable progression of the seasons.

“The rise and fall of the seasons has created a great deal of variation in animal and plant life, resulting in complex ecosystems,” wrote Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford and co-author of ‘Seasons of Life’ .

Without seasons, he wrote, there would be “fewer species with much less diversity in form and behavior. It is also possible that no life would exist at all. Because Earth was home to an enormous diversity of life forms, there has always been some form of life that has managed to recover after major extinction events.” (Note: Biodiversity is more important than most of us realize.

Foster also explained that the seasons shaped our ecosystems and, by extension, human history.

If we didn’t have seasons, we wouldn’t have deciduous trees… think fuel and building materials and fruits and nuts.

If we had no seasons, we would not have annual plants (depending on the cold season), so agriculture as we know it would not have been possible. And agriculture was absolutely necessary to support the growing human population, and for the establishment of cities, and thus for the development of advanced civilizations (but unfortunately also of wars). And so forth. Thinking about the “what ifs” of our Earth without seasons is beyond the imagination.

But even on a small scale, the size of a peninsula, the progression of the seasons determines our lives. On Tuesday, April 29 at 6:30 a.m., The Door County Master Gardeners and Wild Ones-Door Peninsula bring along Charlotte Lukes to present “Seasons of Nature in Door County.” She will talk about wildlife and plants in the four seasons. Special are the aerial photographs that her late husband Roy took twenty years ago of several state parks, The Ridges Sanctuary and the islands on the northern tip of the peninsula.

On the last Wednesday of the month, the Crossroads Book Club gathers around the fireplace to discuss “Rooted, Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature and Spirit” by Lyanda Lynn Haupt. This collection of essays, as the book’s cover states, “is groundbreaking scholarship that supports the truths that poets, authors, mystics, and Earth cultures have proclaimed over the millennia.” Not surprisingly, this book repeatedly describes how plants and wildlife respond to the relationship between daylight and night and the resulting progression of the seasons.

On Wednesday, May 1, the Door County Library, in partnership with the Door County Master Gardeners, the Seed Library and Crossroads, will host a watch party for a livestream webinar featuring nationally known and Wisconsin-based horticulturist Melinda Myers called “Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables” Growing varieties of these seasonal plants that are both ornamental and productive will enhance the nutritional value and beauty of a landscape.

To help people learn more about how wildlife responds to the seasons, Joel Vos, Refuge Manager of the Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges, will present a program called “Green Bay’s” on Thursday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m. Wildlife Refuges’. The presentation will discuss the important federal wildlife and habitat conservation work underway in Door County on the federally managed islands that are part of the two refuges and the Wisconsin Islands Wilderness Area, and the ongoing historic preservation efforts on Plum and Pilot Islands.

The community is welcome to celebrate the changing seasons by exploring the trails of Crossroads’ three preserves all day, every day for free.

Wednesday April 24

10:00am Crossroads Book Club

Gather around the Learning Center fireplace to discuss “Rooted, Living at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit” by Lyanda Lynn Haupt. This collection of essays, as the book’s cover states, “is groundbreaking scholarship that supports the truths that poets, authors, mystics, and Earth cultures have proclaimed over the millennia.” You do not need to have read the book to participate. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Sturgeon Bay.

Saturday April 27

10:00 Family program: Science Saturday-Fossils

Learn a little about how Door County’s fossils were formed, then discover some tips and tricks for picking up fossils. Weather permitting, students of all ages will head outside for a real fossil hunt, so dress for the weather. Each participating family will receive a free fossil brochure from Door County. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.

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Tuesday April 29

6:30 PM Master Gardener/Wild Ones lecture: “Nature through the four seasons”

Join Charlotte Lukes as you travel through Door County to see beautiful views of wildlife from spring through winter, including wildflowers, trees and birds, along with some animals, insects, reptiles and mushrooms. There will also be some aerial views of our parks and nature reserves. Sponsored by Door County Master Gardeners, Wild Ones-Door Peninsula and Crossroads at Big Creek. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

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Wednesday May 1

6:30 Webinar Watch Party: Ornamental fruits and vegetables with garden expert and author Melinda Myers

Increase the nutritional value and beauty of your landscape by including attractive fruits and vegetables in your landscape, garden beds and containers. Growing varieties that are both graceful and productive increases the possibilities of creating a beautiful space right on your doorstep. We will look at new and proven fruit and vegetable varieties suitable for both gardens and containers. Sponsored by Door County Library, Seed Library and the Door County Master Gardeners. Free and open to the public. Meet in the lecture hall of the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

Thursday May 2

6:00 Lecture: Green Bays Wildlife Refuges

With family-friendly outdoor adventure, fascinating cultural attractions, and state and federal public lands ready to be explored, Door County, Wisconsin is special for many reasons. But did you know that Door County is home to two National Wildlife Refuges and a federally designated wilderness area? Join Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges Refuge Manager Joel Vos for a presentation on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges. The presentation will discuss the important federal wildlife and habitat conservation work underway in Lake Michigan, the federally managed islands that make up the two refuges and the Wisconsin Islands Wilderness Area, and ongoing historic preservation efforts on Plum and Pilot Islands. You’ll be part of 570 shelters across the country and you’ll leave with a better understanding of the important work the USFWS does as part of Wisconsin and Door County’s rich conservation traditions. Free and open to the public. Lecture Hall, Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Sturgeon Bay.