Programs at Crossroads at Big Creek this weekend will resemble Wonder Bread tm wrapper. 
Remember those red, yellow and blue balloons? Well, a red, 
yellow or blue sphere will be the focus of three very special events.A blue sphere represents the Planet Earth which is the focus of The Climate Change Workshop scheduled for Saturday, September 27 in the Collins Learning Center. Saturday afternoon, at the DPAS Astronomy Day 2014 : “Astronomy Tastings” folks will get to view the yellow sphere we call the Sun at our Astronomy Campus. And on Sunday, the Door County Historical Society will offer a program called “Cranberries…Wisconsin’s Official Fruits,” during which Ron Amos will discuss these tart and juicy red spheres.
Earth is described as the “Blue Planet” or the “Goldilocks Planet” because it is located at the place in our Solar System that is “not too hot, not too cold”….”just right” for water to exist as a liquid. That, in turn, makes it possible for life to exist. And though being “not too close, not too far” from the Sun is important, it is not the only factor that gives the Earth its “just right” temperature range. Throughout the Earth’s history, our planet has swung from being intensely hot to being engulfted by ice. But why? Why does the climate fluctuate?
Climate Change Coalition of Door County, the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership, the American Chemical Society Climate Science Outreach Team (Illinois Heartland) and the American Meteorological Association Atmospheric Education are sponsors of this program designed to introduce teachers, naturalists and environmentalists to the basics of climate science. Participants will experience classroom-ready activities that can used as laboratory experiences or at outreach events. The $12 registration fee includes lunch, snacks and teaching materials.
The Sun is a yellow sphere, but viewed during the day through a special safety filter, appears to be as red as a cranberry. The Door Peninsula Astronomical Society invite the community to A Taste of Astronomy. “Come Sample What Astronomy Offers” at our Astronomy Campus (use the Utah Street Entrance)
In addition to solar viewing, learners of all ages will learn about telescopes, take The Planet Walk, make craters and experience a variety of “hands-on” activities. And if that big yellow sphere in the sky isn’t showing, the a film about the Mars Rover will take you to the Red Planet.
Daytime activities will run from 1:00-4:00 and in the evening, DPAS members will open the Leif Everson Observatory and Stargarden for Night Sky Viewing. The gates will open at 7:00.
On Sunday, September 28, Ron Amos, owner of Evergreen Nursery, Inc., will explain the history and current state of cranberries in Wisconsin. Cranberries-The Official Fruit of Wisconsin will be offered at 2:00 p.m. in the Collins Learning Center.
The soil in Door County is not acidic enough to support commercial cranberry production, but in Evergreen Nursery Greenhouses, Ron and his staff grow high-yielding hybrid cranberry plants that are then planted in the most productive growing areas in our state. This program is free and open to the public, as are the historical buildings in The Heritage Village at Big Creek
Sunday evening, the Friends of Crossroads will have a fire going at the Council Ring at 5:00. Bring your family or friends and your fixings for a picnic supper, or just enjoy the fire with us. We’ll provide the marshmallows.
