Crosswinds Marsh Wetland Interpretive Preserve

05/01/2026

Happy May! It feels like spring is in full swing and we are excited to spend the season outside with you in the park! We have three great programs and one of our favorite FREE events!

Tuesday, May 12th from 9:00AM-11:00AM is Homeschool Identification Station: Flora! Learn to identify plants and trees of your local forest. Identify trees by the bark, plants by their leaves, and more! Talk about which plants are safe, and which to avoid. Learn to use a field guide and take home a nature journal.

Saturday, May 16th from 1:00PM-3:00PM is Nature Fest! This nature-oriented, FREE event will feature entertainment, nature projects and games, live animals, fishing, canoeing and more! Bait and a limited number of fishing poles are provided.

Tuesday, May 26th from 9:00AM-11:00AM is Homeschool Identification Station: Fauna! Learn to identify the animals around you. Discover tips on how to identify birds in flight, mammals by their footprints, and more! Learn to use a field guide and take home a nature journal.

Tuesday, May 26th from1:00PM-3:00PM is W**d Wackers! Learn some tips and tricks for native gardening and help us pull weeds from our gardens to keep them beautiful and thriving. This week we will be covering Native plants and sustainable gardening. W**dy plants have invaded our butterfly and wildflower gardens at Crosswinds Marsh. Whether you have a “green thumb” or not, you can help us bring these gardens back to the native plant gardens they were meant to be to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife.

To register, please call the Wayne County Parks front desk to register (734-261-1990). Note you will need to pay over the phone by credit card or come into the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center (Westland) to pay by cash, credit card (Visa/Mastercard), or check. Hours are between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Saturday, closed Noon-1:00 PM for lunch. For more info, please call 734-261-8991.

04/29/2026

May is nearly here, don’t forget about the wonderful programs that our sister nature center Nankin Mills Interpretive Center has! Starting off strong with a brand new FREE EVENT coming this Saturday!!

Saturday, May 2 is Eco Fair at Nankin Mills Park. Join us for a fun FREE event expect live animals, crafts, games, and tables run by environmental experts. No registration is required for this event, just drop in and have fun!

Friday, May 8 is Fish Ladder Hike at Rouge Gateway Trail in Dearborn. A refreshing spring hike in downtown Dearborn. Join us as we look for migrating fish, listen for migrating birds, and admire the unique architecture of the Ford Estate and grounds. Meets in the parking lot behind Paris Baguette in Dearborn.

Thursday, May 28 is Home School Nature Journaling at Nankin Mills. Have your child learn sketching with our nature journaling expert, then enjoy some sketching out in the field as we look for spring plants and animals.

Pre-registration is required by calling (734) 261-1990 or by visiting the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, which is open 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Monday through Saturday (closed Noon-1:00 PM for lunch).

04/25/2026

We're only three weeks away from Nature Fest! Be sure to add this FREE family friendly event to your calendar. You can look forward to touch tables, live animals, local nature organizations, crafts, fishing and more!

04/24/2026

Calling all homeschoolers and gardeners! We have amazing programs for you to enjoy!! Coming up next Tuesday, we have a fun program for each of you.

Tuesday, April 28th from 9:00AM-11:00AM we have Homeschool Wetland Citizen Scientist! Join us as we dive into the different ecosystems of Crosswinds. We will pond dip in the big marsh, take a hike across boardwalks and forest, and then explore the intricate world of vernal pools. You don’t want to miss this wetland exploration! This program is for students ages 6-15 years old. Cost is $6.00 per child and free for one adult chaperone per child ticket.

Tuesday, April 28th from 1:00PM-3:00PM we have our first W**d Wackers program! We are going to get our hands dirty in the garden pulling weeds and helping the spring flowers grow. During this program we are going to dive deeper into the topic of winter sowing, and how to jump start your garden early! This is a FREE PROGRAM, but registration is required.

For more information on each program, head over to our events tab. To register, please call the Wayne County Parks front desk to register (734-261-1990). Hours are between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Saturday, closed Noon-1:00 PM for lunch. For more info, please call 734-261-8991.

04/23/2026

We just adore skunks! They eat grubs and insects as well as a variety of other foods, and they're so cute! Great horned owls like skunks too; it's one of their favorite foods!

If you have experienced the smelly aftermath of a dog that got a bit too close to a skunk, you're not alone! Skunks give plenty of warning - they stomp their teeth and growl - but our pups don't always understand skunk language. If their warnings go ignored, they turn around, lift their tail, and spray that musk up to 12 feet away! The best remedy to get rid of the smell is to create a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, liquid soap (for handwashing dishes).

https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/de-skunking-your-dog

Even though they are a little difficult to share space with, skunks are an important part of the ecosystem. 🦨

Skunk Perks:
✅They eat worms, grubs, mice and voles which threaten your lawn and garden and home.
✅They eat carrion and rid the area of harmful bacteria.
✅They dig small holes as they hunt which aerates your lawn & garden.
✅Mercaptans from skunk spray is used industrially to give odor to odorless natural gas thus keeping people safe.
✅ Plus, you have to admit they have a cute waddle. 💚

Just give skunks space, announce your presence and you can be pretty good roommates!
Learn more about skunks at https://ow.ly/RHRq50XT5Sb

04/20/2026

It is baby season! There are important things to remember if you ever find a baby animal. Use this key to help you figure out what the best steps are if you find a baby squirrel.

04/17/2026

Looking for a way to get outside and enjoy the first weekend of May? We're only two weeks away! Come join us over at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center for the first year of ECO FAIR!! This FREE family friendly event is great for all ages with nature displays, pollinator groups, hiking opportunities, live animals, and MORE!

This FREE event is on Saturday, May 2nd from 1:00PM-3:00PM, no registration needed!

04/16/2026

We are only one month away from NATURE FEST!!! This FREE event is a park favorite, bringing together nature organizations and park visitors to learn and share their love of nature. We will have touch tables, live animals, crafts, local nature organizations, bounce houses, face painters, caricaturists, and MORE!

The event runs from 1:00PM-3:00PM on Saturday, May 16th. No need to register, just show up and have fun!

04/15/2026

Do you want to get out into the park and learn about gardening? Are you looking for volunteer opportunities? Well, look no further, we have a great program for you to be apart of! Join us for the first W**D WACKERS program of the season on Tuesday, April 28th from 1:00PM-3:00PM! We will be pulling weeds in one of our gardens and talking all about how to garden. Gain some knowledge on how to start a native garden of your own and help us pull weeds while we’re at it!

This is a FREE program, but registration is required. All supplies are provided including gloves, shovels, and more. To register, please call the Wayne County Parks front desk (734-261-1990). Hours are between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Saturday, closed Noon-1:00 PM for lunch.

04/14/2026

Spring is definitely here and humans aren't the only ones getting out to enjoy it! We saw so many turtles basking, frogs and toads calling, and butterflies everywhere today! The photos just don't do it justice but we saw red admiral butterflies, mourning cloak butterflies and either comma or questionmark butterflies, we couldn't get a good enough look or photo. Get outside if you can and enjoy this warm weather!

04/13/2026

It is baby season! There are important things to remember if you ever find a baby animal. Use this key to help you figure out what the best steps are if you find a baby bird.

04/10/2026

Homeschool season is BACK! We are excited to get back in the park with you all to learn about nature and share the spring season outdoors. We have TWO awesome programs to share with you this month! These programs run from 9:00AM-11:00AM.

Join us next Tuesday, April 14th for WOOD You Like To Learn About Beavers! We will be talk all about beavers, learning what they are, where they live, and even feeling their pelt. We will take a hike to look for evidence of beavers in the park. If the weather is favorable, we have a fun activity to help you get into the beaver spirit!

Join us Tuesday, April 28th for Wetland Citizen Scientist! We will be investigating different types of wetlands, hiking the boardwalks investigating the marsh, and putting our citizen scientist cap on by exploring a vernal pool.

Head over to the Events tab for more information. 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 come into the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center (Westland) to pay by cash, credit card (Visa/Mastercard), or check. Hours are between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Saturday, closed Noon-1:00 PM for lunch