Happening
at the Crossroads
September 7,
2009
by Coggin
Heeringa
This Week at Door County’s Crossroads, Roy and Charlotte Lukes on Wildflowers, DC Invasive Species Team
Fall
flowers have reached their peak at Crossroads at Big Creek. The upland
areas, meadows, and fields are gloriously dappled with yellow, purple
and white blossoms. The sunny and disturbed areas also are filled…
usually with plants having tiny brown and green flowers.
All of the remarkable shapes, colors and smells of flowers are
mechanisms to assist something… perhaps wind… perhaps insects… to carry
the pollen from one flower to another. The brightly colored petals and
the lovely (or sometimes less than sweet) odors help attract insect
pollinators.
Pollinating insects visit plants to feed on nectar, but in the
process of gathering food, they accidentally carry the pollen from
blossom to blossom. Like spring wildflowers, most autumn blossoms tend
to be shades of yellow, purple or white (which more than likely is
ultraviolet… a color not visible to humans) because those are the
colors that attract bees.
Red flowers tend to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Brown and
green flowers? Some flowers are so inconspicuous that we rarely notice
them. These flowers give off amazing quantities of pollen which floats
around in the air. Presumably, a few grains land on the appropriate
flowers and the rest aggravates our allergies. For years, the
goldenrods have gotten a bad rap for causing hay fever.
Actually, these yellow flowers are pollinated by insects. Blame
ragweed for the seasonal allergies. If you need a little preparation
for a fall flower excursion, join the Master Gardeners on Tuesday, September 15 at 7 pm. Naturalist and photographer Roy Lukes
and his wife Charlotte will present a program about “Fall Wildflowers.”
You will find out how to identify wildflowers, see beautiful
photographs of them and perhaps learn where to see particular
wildflowers in Door County. This program is free and open to the public.
Flowers and their seeds are not the only way plants can reproduce.
Wetland and shoreline plants often spread by rhizomes, horizontal stems
which grow underground, or by runners called stolons. Because these
structures work exceptionally well, the Door County Invasive Species Team
(DCIST) will dedicate its September meeting to the “Identification of
and Treatment of Shoreline and Wetland Invasives.” This program starts
in the Collins Learning Center at 2 pm on Monday, September 14 but, weather permitting, the group will move outside for hands-on practice.
Friends of Crossroads will meet at 6:30 on Monday, September 14
and they always welcome visitors and prospective members. They will be
finalizing plans for the Astronomy Weekend – mark your calendars for
September 19 and 20 – and for various outdoor work parties.
Crossroads at Big Creek is a donor- supported preserve welcoming
learner of all ages to programs in science, history and the
environment. The Collins Learning Center is open daily from 2 – 4 pm.
However, it is reserved for a wedding on Saturday, September 12. The
Historical Village at the Crossroads is open Sundays from 1:30 – 4 pm.
Trails are always open to the public. Pets (on leash and under control)
are permitted. For maps and information go to www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org.
Sunday, September 13, 1:30-4:00
Tours of the Historical Village
Costumed interpreters will offer free tours to the Historical
Village . The General Store will be open for business. Tours start each
half hour. Meet at the Chapel when the bell tolls.
1:30-4:00
“A Blacksmith at Work” Demonstration
Our blacksmiths will be working the forge to created S hooks, J
hooks, and dinner bells for sale. Bring your questions to create a
lively conversation, or plan on taking home a special metal art project
Monday, September 14, 2:00
Identification and Treatment of Shoreline and Wetland Invasives
The Door County Invasive Species Team invites the public to a
hands-on program designed on how to identify and treat invasive species
in shoreline and wetland areas. Weather permitting; the group will go
outside for demonstrations. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.
6:30
Friends of Crossroads
Visitors are always welcome at the September meeting of Friends of
Crossroads. The group will organize a number of work parties and
projects. Meet at the Collins Learning Center.
Tuesday, September 15, 7:00
Master Gardener Lecture: “Fall Wildflowers”
Naturalist and photographer Roy Lukes and his wife Charlotte will
present a program about Fall Wildflowers. You will find out how to
identify wildflowers, see beautiful photographs of them and perhaps
learn where to see particular wildflowers in Door County. This program
is sponsored by Master Gardeners and is free and open to the public.
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.
