Crossroads at Big Creek

The Friends of Crossroads meeting will begin with a cookout at the council ring to enjoy fellowship and officially meet Crossroads Facilities manager, Rich Propsom. Meat will be provided. Bring a dish to pass. New friends are more than welcome.

Volunteers will be laboring to remove honeysuckle from the property and to work on our new trails at the Ida Bay Preserve. Lemonade and granola bars will be provide. The Friends would welcome other volunteers. Meet at the Parking Lot at the intersection of Canal Road and Buffalo Ridge Trail. Worker should wear long pants and work gloves. Those wanting to explore the trails should arrive at 9:00 for a pre-work session hike.

This hike will start at the little bridge on Utah Street. Following a gentle ramble to the shoreline, the group will have the option of hiking into the "Cedars" the forest around Big Creek on the original Crossroads Property. Meet at the Bridge on Utah Street by the Hanson House. Free.

Join the naturalist for a casual meander through Crossroads preserve to enjoy the nature's final flower show of the season. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. The trip will last about an hour with easy hiking.

Now that new trails are cut, hikers can visit the mixed hardwood forest at the northeast corner of the Ida Bay property. Meet at the parking lot on Canal Road at the Buffalo Ridge Trail intersection. Free.

Join the naturalist to enjoy the autumn colors on the east end of the Ida Bay preserve. About an hour. Easy walking. Meet at the gate in the middle of Zenith Street.

Get some healthy exercise after the game. Join the naturalist in search of the green and gold in nature. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.

Sometimes this time of year, the cove is filled with waterfowl. Other times, it's just pretty. Join the naturalist for a hour ramble at the end of the day. Meet at the Bridge on Utah Street. Free.

Crossroads invites interested members of the community to join us during our archaeological dig. To sign up for a day to dig call 746-5895 or e-mail [email protected] Or if curiosity gets to you, just drop in. The study plots are located near the intersection of Cove Road and Zenith Street.

Late fall is particularly lovely in a mixed hardwood forest. Join the naturalist for a Sunday ramble. Meet at the Zenith Street Gate. About an hour. Free.

Join the naturalist in a gentle ramble to some of Crossroads' forest habitats to learn how trees prepare for winter. Easy walking. Participants will be back before dark. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free.

Hands-on activities featuring the Law of Superposition and an optional fossil hunt. Some of the models we will make are edible, so parents should call ahead 746-5895 if children have dietary restrictions. If weather makes outdoor fossils hunting impossible, we have an alternate plan. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free.

Explore the north end of the Ida Bay Preserve. Park at the small lot at the intersection of Canal and Buffalo Ridge Trail. The pace will be gentle and the hike will take about about an hour and a half.

Members of the Silent Sports Coalition will present a workshop on waxing skies. Meet in the Maintenance Building at Crossroads. Free.

1pm. Hike to the Evergreen Forest. Join the naturalist to learn how to identify native and some introduced species of evergreen trees. Meet at Collins Learning Center. Free. 2pm. Lecture: Know the Evergreens. Learn to recognize the native and some introduced species of evergreens that grow in Door County. Lecture Hall of Collins Learning Center.

Naturalist led hike where participants will observe berries and learn how berry-bearing plants have adapted to our climate. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.

10:49am. Hike to celebrate sunlight and the hours of daylight gradually increase. Meet at the Zenith St Entrance. Will be a snowshoe hike if there is snow.

Seed spreading hike. Participants will scatter seeds in the upland areas, and perhaps years to come, will return to enjoy the flowers they helped plant. Free and open to the public.

This end of year hike is designed to watch the sun set over Big Creek Cove. We will hike whether or not the sun is shining. Meet at the Big Creek Bridge on Utah Street. Free.

Start your 2016 bird list or just join in the fellowship of hiking with friends at the Ida Bay Preserve. Meet at the Zenith Street Entrance. Free.

Free ski and snowshoe equipment available to borrow. Volunteers will be handy to give advice on trails. When you have finished, return your equipment, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and warm up by the upstairs fire in the Collins Learning Center.

1-3:30pm. Ski and Snowshoe Free at Crossroads. Free ski and snowshoe equipment available to borrow. Volunteers will be handy to give advice on trails. When you have finished, return your equipment, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and warm up by the upstairs fire in the Collins Learning Center. 6-10pm. Moonlight Ski (conditions permitting). Offered by the Door County Silent Sports Alliance. Groomed trails and warm refreshments afterwards. Equipment available for those who don't have their own. Fat tire bikers…

Join the naturalist for a hike at the Ida Bay Preserve, where birch trees are particularly striking. Meet at the Zenith St Entrance, but if the snow is extremely deep, participants are invited to stop by Maintenance Building at 9:30am to borrow a pair of snowshoes before driving to the preserve. Free.

Join the naturalist for a hike through the original Crossroads preserve in search of the early signs of spring. We will find green. Wear footwear that can get wet. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Michigan Street should still be open. Free.

Walk through the woods at the Ida Bay Preserve. Meet at the Parking Lot at Canal and Buffalo Ridge Trail. During construction, vehicles can cross the highway on Utah Street. From the north, one can reach the Ida Bay Preserve by taking Mathey Road and turning onto Bufflalo Ridge Trail. Free.

Join the naturalist for an evening walk in the woods. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Wear shoes that can get wet.

Join the naturalist for an evening hike through the woods. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, rain or moonlight.

Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of Canal and Buffalo Ridge Trail.

The frogs have arrived at Hauser Pond. Enjoy an evening hike to Big Creek and hear the frogs just warming up. Wear footwear that can get wet. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.

Join the naturalist for a spring walk through the Ida Bay Preserve. Meet at the Zenith Street Entrance. Free.

Join the naturalist for an evening walk through the Crossroads preserve. The frogs should be croaking and if we are lucky, the suckers will still be in Big Creek. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.

Meet at the Collins Learning Center. About an hour. Free.

Wear shoes that can get wet. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.

10:30am. "In Search of Spring Wildflowers." Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free. 1pm. Ida Bay Preserve. Explore beech/hemlock forest and deciduous edge areas during this hike. Meet at the Zenith St. Entrance. About one hour. Free.

Join the naturalist on a walk to the new dock at the Big Creek Cove Preserve. Free and open to the public.

Join the naturalist in search of the tiny woodland flowers that bloom in May. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.

Hands on activities pertaining to water will be offered. Participating kids will receive a free T-shirt. Lower level of Collins Learning Center.

Join the naturalist on a walk to the new dock at the Big Creek Cove Preserve. Free and open to the public. Meet at mowed area at the corner of Utah Street and 20th place.

Join the naturalist for a one hour ramble to our new dock and observation platform. Utah Street should be open, turn right onto 20th Place and park in the grass lot off the first driveway to the right. Free-open to the public.

Join a naturalist for an hour long walking tour of the original Crossroads Preserve. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free-open to the public.

Join the naturalist for an hour long hike. Moderate difficulty. Meet at the parking lot in the Buffalo Ridge Trail/Canal Road intersection. Free and open to the public.

Fossils: Leave no Stone Unturned. Join the summer educator to learn about the creatures that once lived here millions of years ago. Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.

Mammals Like Us. Join the summer educator to learn about the animals in the Collins Learning Center wildlife exhibit. Free and open to the public.

Insect Safari. Hike into the fields and forests with collecting nets to find insects and their hiding places. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.

Gifts of the Glaciers. Be a geology detective and learn how the melting glaciers left behind hills and valleys, lakes and habitats for many species. Free and open to the public. Collins Learning Center.

Fantastic Flyers. Study the amazing journey of migrating birds, then discuss insects that also survive enormous flight. Meet at Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.

Explore the Heritage Garden. Search the garden for insects that help turn flowers into fruits and vegetables. Learn what plants are grown in a 1900s village garden and discuss their uses for medicine and food. Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.

Fossils: Leave No Stone Unturned. Join the summer educator to learn about the creatures that once lived here millions of years ago. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.

Butterflies Everywhere. Get up close and observe the delicate beauty of these flying creatures in a catch and release hike (nets provided.) Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Free and open to the public.