Trail Conditions: One mile loop groomed. Thin, but skiable.
First grade students, on their winter forest field trip at Crossroads at Big Creek found several birch trees, riddled with woodpecker holes and clearly dead. One of the children asked, “ How come birch trees get dead so much?”
It does seem like there are a disproportionate number of dead birch trees in a forest. These white-barked trees are so beautiful, alive or dead, especially when you see them standing out against a brilliant blue sky or the green of a deep forest.
In a way, it is surprising that birch trees “get dead.” When they are healthy, birch trees are tough. They can stand out in direct sunlight summer and winter and never get sunburned. Cold will damage many trees, but birch trees can endure days and days of bitter cold.
Birch trees don’t seem to dry out when it’s windy and birchbark is waterproof. Furthermore, birch trees are flexible. Most trees finally succumb when extreme ice or heavy wet snow weighs them down, but birches bend without breaking.
If birch trees are so good at surviving, why do they die? Two things really. First, birch thrive when they grow in direct sunlight. But if other forest trees grow up and overshadow birch trees, the birches will be in the shade. Not good!
The other problem is age. Many trees live a hundred years and even more. Birch trees usually don’t. Twenty… thirty years is a long life for a birch. Oh, some hang on longer if conditions are ideal, but in Door County, conditions tend to be less than ideal.
Understand that trees don’t die from shade or maturity. But if a birch tree is aging or in reduced light, it gets weak. A weak birch tree can’t fight back against insects or fungi or disease. And know that if anything bad can happen to a tree, it will happen to a birch. They get infested and infected a whole host of pathogens, parasites, pests, and rot. A surprising number living birch already are rotten and completely hollow inside. And a lot of standing birch are truly dead.
Certainly, some birch trees fall down when they die, but most just stand in the forest for years and years. And that’s good. Birch snags become homes for birds, animals and insects. There is life in dead trees, just as there is life in the dead of winter.
Wild honeybees often create hives in hollow trees such as birches, and these bees are able to stay alive throughout the winter because their hives are protected from the elements and they have stored food in the form of honey.
Beekeepers similarly must provide protected hollow spaces for their domesticated honeybees and that will be the topic for the next meeting of the Door County Beekeepers Club which will be held on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30 in the Collins Learning Center. The program will be “What’s Up With The Box?” Steve Hupfer, experienced bee keeper and educator, will show the different types of hive boxes, different building joints, woods, paints and style instructions for building your own. Plans for frames and foundations also will be shared. Steve is president of The Brown County Beekeepers Association located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He sustains his own bees by raising queens from his own stock, regenerating his hives, and builds and maintains his own hive boxes and frames. This program is open to the public.
On Wednesday February 24, join the naturalist for a hike at Crossroads Ida Bay Preserve, where birch trees are particularly striking. The hike will start at 10:00 at the Zenith Street Entrance, but if the snow is extremely deep, participants are invited to stop by Maintenance Building at Crossroads at 9:30 to borrow a pair of snowshoes before driving to the preserve.
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, February 18
1:00-3:30 Ski For Free (if snow conditions allow)
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 20
1:00-3:30 Ski For Free (if snow conditions allow)
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 21
1:00-3:30 Ski For Free (if snow conditions allow)
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 23
6:30 Meeting of the Door County Beekeepers Club
The program will be “ What’s Up With The Box?” Steve Hupfer, experienced bee keeper and educator, will show the different types of hive boxes, different building joints, woods, paints and style instructions for building your own. Plans for frames and foundations also will be shared. Steve is president of The Brown County Beekeepers Association located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He sustains his own bees by raising queens from his own stock, regenerating his hives, and builds and maintains his own hive boxes and frames. This program is open to the public.
Wednesday February 24
10:00 Birches at Ida Bay
Join the naturalist for a hike at Crossroads Ida Bay Preserve, where birch trees are particularly striking. The hike will start at 10:00 at the Zenith Street Entrance, but if the snow is extremely deep, participants are invited to stop by Maintenance Building at Crossroads at 9:30 to borrow a pair of snowshoes before driving to the preserve. Free and open to the public.
