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Happening
at the Crossroads
March 8,
2010
by Coggin
Heeringa
Crossroads
at Big Creek is pleased to announce that this spring, the Collins
Learning Center and The Historical Village at The Crossroads will be
the venues for the 2010 Door County Sustainability Fair.
Sustain Door, Inc. has.set the date for Saturday, April 24, an appropriate climax to Earth Week.
In
1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development defined
“sustainability” as that which “meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Who wouldn’t support that lofty goal? But how?
In
September of 2005, Mary Rehwald of Ashland, Wisconsin presented a
lecture at Crossroads called “Sustainable Sweden and Its Lessons
for Northern Wisconsin.” Inspired by this lecture, a group
of eleven area citizens formed a study circle which met at Crossroads
under the leadership of Ann Hippensteel to discuss the book, The
Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to
Sustainable Practices
Members of that original study circle
organized Sustain Door, Inc., an organization dedicated to
promoting the social, economic, and environmental sustainability
of Door County using the Natural Step framework and process. This
organization now has brought five guest speakers to Door County, has
facilitated eight study circles and each year, presents a
Sustainability Fair.
Crossroads currently is offering a class
through the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Education Outreach called
“The Natural Step: An Introduction to Sustainability for Teachers” and
thanks to grants from a local family foundation and Sustain Door, have
been able to provide tuition assistance to the teachers taking this
class.
Recently, in the interest of sustainability, Crossroads
requested an energy audit from Sturgeon Bay Utilities, and WPPI Energy
Services Representative, Melissa Moren found several areas in which we
could save significant energy.
Admittedly, the initial
investment for energy efficient lighting will have a cost, but
rebates are available and within two years, we could recoup our
investment.
Idea! Can you see that little incandescent
light blink on? In the run-up to the Sustainability Fair,
Crossroads will hold a Benefit Lecture Series on Sustainability
to raise the money for energy efficient lighting. With
suggested donation of $5/lecture, we hope to replace the halogen
lamps in the entry level of the Collins Learning Center.
The
series starts on Wednesday, March 10, at 4 pm. John Hippensteel, of
Lake Michigan Wind and Sun, LLD will present a lecture on “Alternative
Energy.” This has been a particularly hot topic in recent months. John
has over twenty-five years of experience installing solar electric,
solar thermal and wind energy systems world-wide. He will help sort out
fact from fiction and share insights separating reasonable
sustainability efforts from the too-good-to-be-true gimmicks currently
being touted.
On Wednesday, March 17, also at 4 pm, Virge
Temme, of Virge Temme Architecture, Inc. will present a
lecture on “Sustainable Architecture.” She will explain
what make a home “green” or “sustainable” and will focus on
techniques for making homes attractive and comfortable while at the
same time, increasing their efficiency.
“Asiatic Lilies” will be
the topic of the Master Gardener Lecture on Tuesday, March 16. at 7 pm.
Guest lecturer Nate Bremer spoke at Crossroads last year and
his program was so fascinating, the Master Gardeners invited him
back..
Bremer is plant hybridizer, specializing in
northern-hardy daylilies and peonies. He will discuss his work
developing registered plants and describe how he field-tests more
than 10,000 seedlings and cultivars each year at his Solaris
Farms, located near Reedsville, Wisconsin. This program is
free and open to the public.
If we have snow, the Friends of
Crossroads will continue to loan out skis and snowshoes on Sundays from
1 – 3 pm. If it appears that spring has arrived, we invite
visitors to welcome the season on our hiking trails
Crossroads
at Big Creek is a donor-supported preserve welcoming learners of all
ages to activities focusing on science, history and the environment.
The Collins Learning Center, located at 2041 Michigan (County TT) in
Sturgeon Bay, is open daily 2:00-5:00 and during scheduled activities.
Wednesday, March 10, 4:00
Sustainability Lecture: “Alternative Energy”
The
first of the Crossroads Sustainability Lecture Series, this lecture
will focus on the extremely timely topic of green energy. John
Hippensteel will sort out the facts from the fiction. A suggested
donation of $5.00 will be designated to purchase energy efficient
lighting for the Collins Learning Center.
Sunday, March 14, 1:00-3:00
(maybe) Community Ski
If
snow conditions allow, the Friends of Crossroads will continue to loan
skis and snowshoes, free of charge to those who want to get in touch
with nature through environmentally gentle recreation.
Tuesday, March 16, 7:00
Master Garden Lecture: “Asiatic Lilies”
Guest
lecturer Nate Bremer, a plant hybridizer, specializing in
northern-hardy daylilies and peonies, will. discuss his work developing
registered plants and describe how he field tests more than 10,000
seedlings and cultivars each year at his Solaris Farms, located
near Reedsville, Wisconsin. This program is free and open to the
public.
Wednesday, March 17, 4:00
Sustainability Lecture: “Sustainable Architecture.”
Virge
Temme, of Virge Temme Architecture, Inc will explain what
make a home “green” or “sustainable” and will focus on
techniques for making homes attractive and comfortable, while at the
same time, increasing their efficiency. A suggested donation of $5.00
will be designated to purchase energy efficient lighting for the
Collins Learning Center.
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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