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Happening
at the Crossroads
April 6,
2009
by Coggin
Heeringa
Yes.
Of course. We will do the "egg thing" again this year at
Crossroads at Big Creek. EGGstravaganza on the Saturday before Easter
is a tradition. And we also will present our traditional,
"Meet the Rabbit" Family Program on Thursday afternoon. But in addition
to our interest in pagan fertility symbols, we are thinking about seeds.
This
time of year, we are looking forward to gardening. Already, in
the Crossroads Green house, some of the seeds for our Heritage
Garden have sprouted.
Ah, seeds. They come in various colors and
many are covered with intricate designs. Besides having a superficial
resemblance to Easter eggs, seeds are similar to eggs in function.
The
seed coat is analogous to the egg shell. Both "life packages"
contain an embryo which will develop apart from the parent. Just
as an egg contains a food supply (the yolk), a seed contains a package
(or two packages) of food.
In answer to the old riddle, the egg
really does come first--before the chicken. By the time we see the
hatched chick, the yolk has been used or absorbed by the
developing bird.
Not so with seeds. In the plants
classified as monocotyledons [grass and corn are familiar
examples] the food is stored in tissue called the endosperm. This
(and the rest of the seed) stays underground as the blade-like sprout
emerges from the soil.
Other plants are called
dicotyledons, so named because the seed contains two food
storage packages called cotyledons. These are sometimes called "seed
leaves." When this kind of seed sprouts, the embryonic stem pulls
the cotyledons...the seed leaves... out of the ground.
The
stem and leaves of the plant embryo are neatly tucked between the two
cotyledons. When the plant surfaces, the cotyledons open and the true
leaves unfold and begin to grow. By the time the true leaves are
able to make their own food by photosynthesis, the nutrients in the
cotyledons have been pretty well used up. They shrivel up and drop off.
If
you too are longing to get soil under your fingernails and plant some
seeds, and you want to do it correctly, you are invited to take
part in a Garden Workshop for Families at Crossroads.
Instructor
Patsy Stierna will explain how to make good garden soil, how to keep
weeds under control, and how to plant plants that you then can take
home to your own garden. Finally, participants will learn to prepare
vegetables. A $10/family fee covers the costs of plants and planting
supplies but these will result in plants worth more than $50. Children
are welcome to come along, and we will keep them busy with
nature-related activities during class sessions. They will, of course,
be involved in the planting. Class will be offered from 6:00-7:30
on April 16, April 30, and May 7. Pre-registration recommended.
Crossroads
is a donor supported preserve welcoming learners of all ages to
programs in science, history and the environmnet. Crossroads is located
at the intersection of Highway 42/57 and Michigan
Street.
Thursday , April 9
3:30 Family Program: "Meet the Rabbit"
Participants
will view a film about cottontail rabbits before participating in
hands-on activities and an optional nature hike. This program is
designed for children K-5 but learners of all ages are welcome. Collins
Learning Center. Free and open to the
public.
Saturday, April 11,
2:00 Family Program: EGGstravaganza
During
this annual event, learners of all ages will learn about eggs by
dissecting, rolling and tossing raw eggs. Wear clothes that can get
"egged". Free. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.
Thursday, April 16,
6:00-7:30 Garden Workshop for Families
The
first of three sessions of a sustainable gardening class for families
will cover topics including how to make good garden soil, learning to
keep weeds under control, and learning how to grow and eat delicaous
vegetables in your own garden. A $10 per family fee covers the
costs of plants and planting supplies. Preregistration required.
Applications available at UW-Extension, 421 Nebraska in Sturgeon Bay
and at Lakesshore CAP.
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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