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Happening
at the Crossroads:
July 26,
2010
by Coggin
Heeringa
On a misty July morning, few places in Door County are as beautiful as the prairie planting at Crossroads at Big Creek.
Prairies
are not native to Door County, but they do occur in Wisconsin so about
a dozen years ago, students from the School District of Sturgeon Bay
planted prairie grasses and flowers about halfway between the Collins
Learning Center and the Astronomy Campus.
In July, the prairie
is bright with yellow and lavender flowers, but on a foggy morning, the
most beautiful part of the prairie is the amazing display of spider
webs, glistening with jewel-like droplets of moisture. .
While
not all spiders spin webs, those that do use webs to catch food,
predominantly flying insects. We know for sure that insect eyes do not
work like ours—and we are relatively sure that webs are virtually
invisible to insects. So insects fly into the spider webs and get stuck.
They
get stuck because most of the silk strands are sticky. Occasionally,
insects struggle and break out of the web (leaving a big
hole) but that’s unlikely. The silk is elastic, so it stretches
rather than breaks.
But after a few days, a web gets worn out.
After being crashed into and pulled, the strands lose their elasticity,
sort of like the waistband of old sweat pants.
And the sticky
stuff? Rain and morning dew wash it off the web. When the weather is
dry, dust coats the sticky silk. Have you ever tried to use a
dirty piece of tape?
So most spiders eat their eat webs. Some
species just eat the sticky spiral parts of the web and others eat the
entire web, digest the silk, and then use the recycled silk
proteins to spin a new web.
Spider silk comes out of organs
called spinnerets made up of hundreds of little tubes/spigots
which contain liquid protein. Spinnerets act rather like fingers
to pull the liquid out of the spigots, and then, stretch or squeeze the
protein molecules in long incredibly strong strands.
Eat the
web, digest the protein, and use it again. What could be more
“green” that to take something old or worn and make it useful?
Treasure
hunter and antique buffs know the value of a Rummage Sale. Worn
and used items often can be used again. And that’s why the Door County
Historical Society will hold a Vintage/Antique Treasure Sale at
Crossroads on Thursday, July 29, 1:00-5:00 and on Friday, July
30, 9:00-1:00. Some of the antiques really are treasures… just
not right for The Historical Village. Other items are duplicates of
antiques already on display. And some stuff is junk–but who knows? one
person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Funds from the sale will
help buy more artifacts for the historical buildings.
Sunday,
the special event at the The Historical Village will be a Spinning
Demonstration featuring not spiders, but rather Paddi Elliot who has
been been spinning yarn from raw wool for sixteen years. She got
interested when she and her husband were Civil War re-enactors.
She will demonstrate and talk about how people of the past created the
clothing they needed by showing the process from raw wool to finished
product. Paddi will share her love for the simple life of the
past, using a replica of an Ashford spinning wheel from the 1860s.
Our
science program this week is scheduled for Tuesday, August 2, at 7:00.
The Door Peninsula Astronomical Society will hold their August meeting
at the Stonecipher Astronomy Center. Professor Ray Stonecipher will be
the featured speaker, offering a presentation called “Cosmic Distances
Part 2.” Visitors are encouraged and refreshments will be served.
Please use the Utah Street Entrance to reach the Astronomy Campus.
Our
summer educator offers family programs Monday through Thursday at
11:00 and she will be happy to give tours of the wildlife exhibits and
Historical Village between 1:30-3:30 daily. She will also be happy to
show and hopefully, sell rain barrels.
Crossroads
at Big Creek is a donor- supported learning preserve welcoming learners
of all ages to programs in science, history and the environment.
The Collins Learning Center, open daily 1:30-3:30, located at
2041 Michigan Street (County Highway TT) in Sturgeon Bay.
Wednesday, July 28, 11:00
Family Program: “Warren House”
Visit
a log home built in the 1870s. Explore a “keeping room,” a parlor, and
a summer kitchen. About an hour. Meet at the Warren House in The
Historical Village. Free.
Thursday, July 29, 11:00
Family Program: “Butterflies”
Hike
to find the butterflies of summer and search for their eggs and
caterpillars on the plants they eat. Meet at the Collins Learning
Center. Free.
1:00-5:00
Vintage/Antique Treasure Sale
The
Door County Historical Society is sponsoring this sale to benefit The
Histoircal Village artifacts fund. You just might find that item
you have been looking for! Admission free.
Friday, July 30, 9:00-1:00
Vintage/Antique Treasure Sale
The
Door County Historical Society is sponsoring this sale to benefit the
village artifacts fund. You just might find that item you have
been looking for!. Admission free.
Sunday, August 1, 1:30-3:30
Village Tours and Spinning Demonstration
Paddi
Elliot has been spinning yarn from raw wool for 16 years.
She got interested in spinning when she and her husband were Civil War
re-enactors. During her demonstration, she will describe how
people of the past created the clothing they needed by showing the
process from raw wool to finished product. She will share her love for
the simple life of the past. This program and village tours
are free.
Monday, August 2, 11:00
Family Program: “A School Day in 1900″
Enjoy
lessons in a country crossroads school where reading, writing, and
arithmetic, history and science were taught in one room. Free. Meet in
the Vigness School in the Historical Village.
6:30
Meeting of the Friends of Crossroads
Friends
of Crossroads will meet to begin planning for summer and fall programs
and projects. New members are encouraged. Meet at the Collins Learning
Center.
Tuesday, August 3, 11:00
Family Program: ”Great Lakes Fish”
Thnk
you know all the fish that live in Lake Michigan? Discover them at our
Great Lakes Ecosystem Exhibit and learn much more. Free. Meet at
the Collins Learning Center.
7:00
DPAS Meeting/Lecture: “Cosmic Distances, Part 2″
Professor
Ray Stonecipher will be the featured speaker, offering a presentation
called “Cosmic Distances Part 2.” Visitors are encouraged
and refreshments will be served. Please use the Utah Street Entrance to
reach the Astronomy Campus.
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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