Trail Conditions: Icy and Drifted. Poor. Ski for Free Canceled.
Door County Reads
Family Cultural Fair:
“Sights, Sounds and Tastes of Pakistan” thanks to the Door County Library Foundation.
SKI FOR FREE CANCELED FOR SATURDAY.
In the run-up to Valentine’s Day, we believe that instead of teaching hate and fear, we should carefully teach our children to accept other cultures, so we are thrilled to host the Door County Reads Family Cultural Fair: Sights, Sounds and Tastes of Pakistan on Saturday, February 13 from 1:00-3:00. Participants will experience another culture through sharing food, creating art, listening and dancing to music, and even play Parcheesi. It’s all free,
Apparently birds instinctively teach their offspring to hate and fear, but perhaps it is justified for survival reasons. Young birds must be taught to recognize predators and they receive these lessons through a strange, but very common, behavior called “mobbing.”
Not all animal behaviorists agree on the motivation of this behavior, but when bird spots a predator–a hawk or owl, for example– they give a special call and other birds fly in from all directions to mob the offensive bird. The mobbing birds screech, dive bomb, and generally harass the hapless object of their ire until the hapless bird flies away. This behavior is most common during breeding season so it probably is a strategy for driving predators away from active nests.
But in the reference book The Birder’s Handbook , authors Paul Ehrlich, David Dokins, and Darryl Wheye wrote: “One function of mobbing may be educational–to teach young bird to identify the enemy.”
At Crossroads, we have a special mission to teach our young, with a special emphasis on the STEM disciplines. So what do Science, Technology, Engineering and Math have to do with Islamic culture?
Much of what we consider STEM is rooted in what is called The Islamic Golden Age which occurred roughly between the mid-7th century to the mid-13th century. During this time, Muslim scientists, engineers, astronomers, chemists and mathematicians made huge contributions to science and technology.
We think of ancient Greece, India, and China as the sources of scientific thinking. Geographically, Mecca is between these places. During the Islamic Golden Age, people traveled to Mecca on religious pilgrimages and also for commerce, so ideas as well as trade goods were exchanged. Consequently, the Muslim world became the intellectual center for science, medicine, and education. Meanwhile in Europe, the Medieval times were sometimes called the Dark Ages because of the decline of intellectual output after the fall of the Roman Empire. One could argue that the Christian church actually stifled scientific thought, while Quran encouraged scholarship.
During the Family Culture Fair Saturday, representatives from the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society and Friends of Crossroads will be sharing some of the astronomical and math concepts which were developed during the Islamic Golden Age.
There is another culture about which few people are aware…..the living communities in our soil. So on Tuesday, February 16 at 7:00, the Master Gardeners of Door County will offer the Lecture: “All About Soils.” The guest speaker is Eric Cooley, co-director of the UW Discovery Farm program. Cooley and his colleagues coordinate and implement water quality research, collect and disseminate data, and develop educational material based on Discovery Farms research. The program will be offered in the lecture hall of the Collins Learning Center and is free and open to the public.
Ski for Free is still offered on Thursdays. Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-3:30 plus our trails are open whenever snow conditions permit.
Crossroads is a donor supported preserve welcoming learning of all ages to programs in science, history and the environment. The Collins Learning Center located at 2041 Michigan, is open 2:00-4:30 daily and during special events. Trails at Crossroads, Big Creek Cove and our Ida Bay Preserve are free and open to the public. When there is snow, walkers are asked to avoid designated ski trails.
Thursday, Febrruary 11
1:00-3:30 Ski For Free
The Crossroads Ski for Free program lends, free of charge, an array of ski and snowshoe equipment (much of it brand new!) in sizes to fit age 3 through large adult on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-3:30. When trail conditions permit, go to the Crossroads Maintenance Building where our volunteers will fit you with equipment, share a few pointers and a trail map and send you out the trails. When you have finished, return the equipment and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. This program is sponsored by Friends of Crossroads and Door County Silent Sports Alliance.
Saturday, February 13
1:00-3:00 Door County Reads Cultural Fair: Sights, Sounds and Tastes of Pakistan
The whole family will enjoy visiting the “Family Cultural Fair. ”Widen your horizons by experiencing sights, sounds, and tastes of Pakistani culture.including food, art, music, dance, poetry, culture, math ,science, and Parcheesi. Free and open to learners of all ages in the Collins Learning Center.
1:00-3:30 Ski For Free
The Crossroads Ski for Free program lends, free of charge, an array of ski and snowshoe equipment (much of it brand new!) in sizes to fit age 3 through large adult on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-3:30. When trail conditions permit, go to the Crossroads Maintenance Building where our volunteers will fit you with equipment, share a few pointers and a trail map and send you out the trails. When you have finished, return the equipment and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. This program is sponsored by Friends of Crossroads and Door County Silent Sports Alliance.
Sunday, February 14
1:00-3:30 Ski For Free
The Crossroads Ski for Free program lends, free of charge, an array of ski and snowshoe equipment (much of it brand new!) in sizes to fit age 3 through large adult on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-3:30. When trail conditions permit, go to the Crossroads Maintenance Building where our volunteers will fit you with equipment, share a few pointers and a trail map and send you out the trails. When you have finished, return the equipment and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. This program is sponsored by Friends of Crossroads and Door County Silent Sports Alliance.
Tuesday, February 16,
7:00 Master Gardener Lecture: All About Soils
Eric Cooley, will be the presenter at this lecture about soil..
As co-director of the UW Discovery Farms Program, Eric coordinates and
implements water quality research, collects and disseminates data, and develops
educational material based on Discovery Farms research. All those wanting to learn about soil should try to attend this free presentation in the Collins Learning Center.
Coggin Heeringa
Director, Crossroads at Big Creek, Inc.
2041 Michigan
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 54235
920-746-5895
