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Happening
at the Crossroads
June 9,
2008
by Coggin
Heeringa
Clones
were once the subject of science fiction. Then, there was that famous
ewe named Dolly, and now, we learn that (for a substantial fee) we can
clone the family pet.
Well, we already have clones at Crossroads
at Big Creek - in the uplands, in the Historical Village, along the
trails, in the Collins Learning Center lawn. These clones, which dot
the June landscape, are flowers; the ubiquitous dandelions.
Yes,
in spite of the fact they are bright, insect-attracting colors and
contain copious quantities of nectar and pollen, these sunny
blossoms (or pesky weeds - depending on your point of view) do not
undergo sexual reproduction, so each seed is genetically
identical to the parent plant.
Therefore, technically, each
dandelion plant is a clone. The flower heads of the parent plant
would not even need to open for the seeds to develop.
Dandelion
plants really don't have stems. The bright yellow flower heads grow on
flower stocks which really are better than stems in many ways.
They
are tapered, wider at the bottom than at the top and amazingly strong,
considering that they are hollow. But they aren't stiff. Unlike stems,
they can bend without breaking during storms or under the blades of
lawn mowers.
Stalks they grow just as high as they have to be to
catch the wind. You see, when the flower head has turned to seeds, the
job of the stalk is to hold the fluffy blowball high enough so that a
breeze will catch the little parachutes and carry the seeds away to
germinate somewhere else where they are not appreciated.
Dandelions
are one of several topics for family programs this week. At 3:30 on
Friday, a family program featuring dandelions will be offered at
Crossroads.
An international theme pervades the weekend,
beginning Friday evening with the Global Lens 2008 Film
Series. "The Bet Collector", filmed in the Philippines,
tells the story of Amy, the family matriarch, who makes ends meet by
running a small convenience store from her home on the streets of
Manila. English subtitles. This film is free and open to the public.
Sunday,
the Historical Village at the Crossroads will be open to the Public.
The Chapel Concert features "Global Achord," a group that
specializes in folk music from around the world. Unique instruments and
spirited music are making this ensemble a local favorites. The concert
is free but donations for the musicians are gratefully accepted.
Crossroads
at Big Creek is a preserve dedicated to lifelong learning in science,
history and the environment. The trails are always open. The Wisconsin
Wildlife Exhibit is open 2:00 to 5:30 daily.
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.
Many of the Past News articles may be retrieved from this directory,
indexed and named in the following manner: 080101-news.htm where
the first two numbers are the year, the second two the month and the
last two the date.
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