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Happening at the Crossroads
February 21, 2008
by Coggin Heeringa Fourth
grade students often visit Crossroads at Big Creek as a part of their
Wisconsin History unit. Among the favorite activities is sawing wood
with a two man cross cut saw. We use slender sampling so at the end of
the activity, each child is the proud owners of a "wood cookie."
As
I watch the children struggling to maintain a rhythm, my mind often
wanders to the February chapter of Aldo Leopold's A Sand County
Almanac. In this essay, Leopold ponders the history of Wisconsin
Land management as the teeth of his saw cuts through the annual rings
of a mighty oak.
Some events are so important, we remember the
day with absolute clarity decades later. We remember where we
were, what we were doing and who we were with. To the Kennedy
assassination... the first moon walk... getting engaged, I add
the first time I read A Sand County Almanac. Yet today, when I cut
wood, hear goose music, or watch the sky dance of the woodcock, I think
of the words of Leopold, which presented the concept of "a land ethic"
and consequently, changed the direction of my life.
I am not
alone. Environmentalists throughout the world have been inspired by A
Sand County Almanac, and here in Wisconsin, those who have inherited
the legacy of the Land Ethic join with the Aldo Leopold Foundation
to celebrate the first weekend each month.
On Saturday,
March 1, at Crossroads, the Second Annual Door County Weekend will be a
marathon read of A Sand County Almanac from 10 am to 4:00 pm,
with lunch on your own from noon to 1:30. Participants can bring their
own copies or borrow books. They may volunteer to be a reader of just
follow along. Some folks drop in for an hour ..others listen to the
whole book. The event is free, and open to participants of all ages.
In
addition to finding inspiration in great books, I find enormous
well-being through the arts, so I was not at all surprised to read
research confirming that the arts have a positive impact on health and
quality of life.
A Talk With the Artists" will be presented the
the Women's and Children's Health Center of Door County Memorial
Hospital on Thursday, February 28, at 5:00. Refreshments will be
provided (yes, there will be wine) and a chance to mingle before the
panel discussion.
Jenny Fischer, will moderate a discussion
including musician, Dorothy Scoot, painters Judi Ekholm and Melanie
Croke, and garden designer/stained glass artist, Karin Overbeck.
There will be time to mingle following the discussion.
Visitors
are welcome at the Friends of Crossroads and Door Peninsula
Astronomical Society meetings on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
Crossroads
at Big Creek is a preserve for learners of all ages focusing on
science, history and the environment. The main entrance is located at
2041 Michigan Street (County TT) in Sturgeon Bay.
The
Collins Learning Center at Crossroads is located at on County Highway T
across from Whitetails Unlimited. To reach the Leif Everson Observatory
and Stonecipher Astronomy Center, use the Utah Street Entrance. If
skies are clear, call 746-5896 for a recorded message announcing
whether the observatory will be open.
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