Crosswinds Marsh Wetland Interpretive Preserve

10/16/2026

Harvest Festival is tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th, at Crosswinds Marsh!

Join us for games, crafts, hayrides, and more! Kid-friendly costumes are encouraged!

This is a free event, no registration required.

10/16/2026

Harvest Festival is tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th, at Crosswinds Marsh! Join us for this free event, where we will have hayrides, nature games and crafts, face/air brush painting, inflatable bounce houses, and family-fun entertainment.

10/15/2026

Does your lawn get a little soggy after spring and fall rain events? Consider installing a rain garden! There are native plants that LOVE water and do an amazing job of soaking up excess rain water in your yard. Rain gardens reduce flooding, create habitat for dragonflies, frogs, and birds, and make for an aesthetically pleasing landscape.

Check out Crosswinds' rain gardens on either side of the restroom building!

That low spot in the yard that stays muddy after rain and never fully dries — most people fight it. They fill it with gravel, pipe it to the street, or just avoid it.

It's the single most productive planting zone you have.

A shallow depression the size of a parking space, planted with the right natives, becomes a rain garden that supports frogs, dragonflies, toads, salamanders, and pollinators all summer. It filters your roof runoff before it reaches the storm drain. And it fills itself for free every time it rains.

🌿 Three zones, three plant lists:

- Center (wettest) — blue flag iris, cardinal flower, marsh marigold, buttonbush. This is where the frogs breed and the dragonfly larvae develop.

- Middle (moist after rain) — Joe-Pye w**d, swamp milkw**d, boneset, turtlehead. Butterfly and bee magnet all summer.

- Edge (dries between rains) — black-eyed Susan, New England aster, switchgrass, bee balm. The transition strip that ties the rain garden into the rest of the yard.

The wet spot was never a problem. It was a habitat waiting for the right plants 🌱

10/14/2026

Did you know that studies have found that observing fall leaf colors improves our mood and lowers our stress levels? The colorful leaves help us feel calm and more relaxed, and improve our emotional state overall.

I think we can all use a little of that! Whether you go for an adventurous hike, a stroll with the kids or dog, or just sit outdoors to drink your morning coffee or evening tea, we hope you are able to get outside to take in some of those mood-improving fall colors.

10/12/2026

Get ready for your taste buds to go wild! Let's talk about what some of our favorite fall treats have in common. We're talking:
-Pumpkin: pie, pancakes, latte
-Apple: pie, c***r, caramel apples
-Cranberry: sauce, bread, sangria

What do these foods have in common? Bees! Well, primarily bees, but other insects also play a big role in pollinating the flowers that are responsible for these fan favorites.

You can thank squash bees, bumble bees and sweat bees for all things pumpkin. Mason bees, mining bees, bumble bees, and hover flies are the most efficient pollinators of apple trees, and the Eastern cranberry bee and bumble bees are the main pollinators of cranberry vines.

While commercial farmers often import honey bees to pollinate their crops, honey bees are native to Europe and Africa, not North America. These bees have co-evolved with plants where they originated and are most efficient at pollinating those plants. When compared to our native bees, honey bees are far less efficient at pollinating our native pumpkin, apple, and cranberry plants.

So next time you enjoy one of these fall treats, be sure to appreciate the hard work that bees and other insects did to bring these yummy foods to your belly!

10/09/2026

We have a few fantastic programs coming up at Crosswinds -

Tuesday, October 13th from 9:00AM – 11:00AM is Homeschool Break It Down! A mighty tree becomes soil beneath our feet. Learn how nature breaks things down through discussion, activity and hike. Registration for this program closes at 8:00 AM on Monday, October 12th.

Wednesday, October 14th from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM is Marsh Cleanup. This is a free event where you remove litter that pollutes our waterway and puts wildlife in danger. Cleanup can be conducted by land or canoe (weather permitting). Canoes, paddles, and life jackets are provided. Two people per canoe required. Max per canoe is 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children (12 years old and younger). Kids under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult and kids under 10 years old will not be permitted to paddle. Canoe maximum weight capacity is 570 pounds. Weight must be distributed equally in boat. Prizes will be awarded! This is a free program but registration is required. Registration for this program closes at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, October 13th.

Tuesday, October 27th from 9:00AM – 11:00AM is Homeschool Spooky Geocaching! Do you want to go on a treasure hunt while exploring the woods? Would you like to learn about some of the spooky residents that call Crosswinds home? Well, join us for our Spooky Geocaching program and do both at the same time! Learn all about the history and practice of Geocaching and find treasure as we go. Registration for this program closes at 8:00 AM on Monday, October 26th.

For more information, head over to our events tab! To register, please call the Wayne County Parks front desk (734-261-1990). Note you will need to pay over the phone by credit card or go into the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center (Westland) to pay by cash, credit card (Visa/Mastercard), or check. Hours are between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

10/08/2026

Mark your calendars, Harvest Festival is just over 2 weeks away! We hope to see you at Crosswinds Marsh on Saturday, October 17th!

10/07/2026

The air is crisp, the leaves are changing colors, and the wildlife are busy. It's a beautiful time of year to be outdoors, we hope you're taking the time to add a little nature into your day.

10/06/2026

Don't forget to register for the next two programs we have coming up at Crosswinds Marsh.

Home School, Break It Down! is on Tuesday, October 13th from 9:00AM – 11:00AM. A mighty tree becomes soil beneath our feet. Learn how nature breaks things down through discussion, activity and hike. Registration for this program closes at 8:00 AM on Monday, October 12th.

Marsh Cleanup is on Wednesday, October 14th from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM. This is a free event where you remove litter that pollutes our waterway and puts wildlife in danger. Cleanup can be conducted by land or canoe (weather permitting). Canoes, paddles, and life jackets are provided. Two people per canoe required. Max per canoe is 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children (12 years old and younger). Kids under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult and kids under 10 years old will not be permitted to paddle. Canoe maximum weight capacity is 570 pounds. Weight must be distributed equally in boat. Prizes will be awarded! This is a free program but registration is required. Registration for this program closes at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, October 13th.

For more information, head over to our events tab! To register, please call the Wayne County Parks front desk (734-261-1990). Note you will need to pay over the phone by credit card or go into the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center (Westland) to pay by cash, credit card (Visa/Mastercard), or check. Hours are between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

10/05/2026

Wayne County, Michigan is hosting their annual Fall in Love with Wayne County photo contest again, happening this month! Tag them in your photos, use the hashtag , and there is a chance you could win! See the attached flyer for details.