Crossroads at Big Creek

Crossroads at Big Creek is a 200-acre nature preserve and learning center located within the city limits of Sturgeon Bay in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. Crossroads is a non-profit organization supported by the community. Its mission is to inspire environmental stewardship in learners of all ages and from all backgrounds through education, research, land restoration and outdoor experiences.

Crossroads began as a school forest in 1993 and has expanded both in size and scope of work. It is known in the Door County community for its long history of providing environmental programming and education. Crossroads offers hundreds of programs each year, from its Junior Nature Club for pre-school-aged children to Earth Day for elementary students to lectures by industry specialists for adults. Crossroads values collaboration, both with local environmental groups like Door County Master Naturalists and The Ridges Sanctuary, and with regional entities like the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Crossroads is located within the heart of Door County, an ecologically unique biotic refuge with 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and the geological presence of the Niagara Escarpment. Crossroads comprises a variety of ecological systems including sedge meadow, wet-mesic forest, upland meadow, creek and estuary. In 2022, Crossroads was designated as one of the natural areas within the newly formed Great Lakes National Estuarine Research Reserve. Crossroads has been identified as a significant migratory bird stopover site.

Crossroads has a professional staff, an engaged Board of Directors, and a strong base of support from donors and volunteers. Crossroads is a vibrant organization that has experienced much growth in recent years. Among other initiatives, the Board of Directors is working to expand Crossroads’ land restoration education program in the near future. It is also actively engaged in facilities planning with a professional architectural firm that will improve Crossroads’ physical spaces and prepare it for current and future needs.