Page 46 – Wisconsin Life

Way before cell phones, there were these things called telephones. And in the early days, a telephone call required a switchboard operator to make the connection. Writer Meg Jones tells the story a group of switchboard operators whose skill and courage on the front lines helped the US win World War I.

Naturalist John Bates Can Guide You To The Best Old-Growth Forest In Wisconsin
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Naturalist John Bates Can Guide You To The Best Old-Growth Forest In Wisconsin

Science & Nature

Naturalist John Bates Can Guide You To The Best Old-Growth Forest In Wisconsin

WXPR reporter Mackenzie Martin heads to an old-growth forest with naturalist John Bates to answer this Curious North question: Are there any old-growth sections or oldest trees known in the area that are secreted away that the general public doesn’t know about?

Black Bears In Wausau’s Backyard
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Black Bears In Wausau’s Backyard

Science & Nature

Black Bears In Wausau’s Backyard

Tens of thousands of black bears roam Wisconsin and yet to see one up close is rare. Jeff Traska has the good fortune of having bear encounters on a daily basis.

Valders Couple Raise Coopworth Long Wool Sheep, Run 1920s Woolen Mill
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Valders Couple Raise Coopworth Long Wool Sheep, Run 1920s Woolen Mill

Science & Nature

Valders Couple Raise Coopworth Long Wool Sheep, Run 1920s Woolen Mill

Nestled in a valley by Valders is the Hidden Valley Farm & Woolen Mill. Five hundred and fifty head of sheep and lambs call Hidden Valley Farm their home. These are Coopworth sheep, developed in New Zealand.

Madison Arborist Utilizes Surprising Techniques
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Madison Arborist Utilizes Surprising Techniques

Science & Nature

Madison Arborist Utilizes Surprising Techniques

Evan Slocum is a one-of-a-kind arborist. “I think the way that I do things is pretty different,” Slocum says, referring to both his tactics and equipment. “I try to keep it as simple as I can while being efficient.”

Stitching A Niche With Stoles
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Stitching A Niche With Stoles

Wisconsin Originals

Stitching A Niche With Stoles

White, green, purple, red. Melinda Halom knows her church colors and the corresponding seasons. Halom is a part-time pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in New Auburn. However, it’s her other job that is attracting attention.

Wisconsin Life # 705: Creative Confluence
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Wisconsin Life # 705: Creative Confluence

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life # 705: Creative Confluence

Wisconsin Life host Angela Fitzgerald journeys to Wyalusing State Park, one of Wisconsin’s oldest park, to check out the 14 miles of hiking trails, river access and cliffside camping. Angela hikes along the First Nation’s effigy mound trail with over 60 visible mounds.

Flash Fiction: The Rusted Bell
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Flash Fiction: The Rusted Bell

The Arts

Flash Fiction: The Rusted Bell

With Halloween this week, we thought it’d be the perfect time to revisit one of our favorite ghost stories on Wisconsin Life. “The Rusted Bell” was written by Darlene Rickert of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin 101: Door County Bookmobile
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Wisconsin 101: Door County Bookmobile

Culture & History

Wisconsin 101: Door County Bookmobile

Bookmobiles have long dotted Wisconsin’s roadways and parking lots. The state has a long history of bringing books and movies to people living anywhere from Wisconsin Dells to Green Bay. One of those bookmobiles is the Madison Public Library’s Dream Bus.

Wisconsin Life # 704: Play Ball!
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Wisconsin Life # 704: Play Ball!

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life # 704: Play Ball!

Wisconsin Life host Angela Fitzgerald suits up to play vintage baseball with the Menomonie Blue Caps as they take on teams from across the Midwest. Teams compete using the same rules and equipment players used in the year 1860.

Actor Mark Proksch Is A Master Of The Mundane
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Actor Mark Proksch Is A Master Of The Mundane

The Arts

Actor Mark Proksch Is A Master Of The Mundane

If you’re a fan of “The Office,” “Better Call Saul,” or the comedy horror series, “What We Do in the Shadows,” you’ve probably seen Mark Proksch. A native of Onalaska, Wisconsin, Proksch didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an actor.

Milwaukee Woman Carries on Family Tradition of Making Headcheese
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Milwaukee Woman Carries on Family Tradition of Making Headcheese

Food & Travel

Milwaukee Woman Carries on Family Tradition of Making Headcheese

Daphne Jones is carrying on a tradition that is deeply personal, and at the same time, ancient and universal. She is making headcheese. “There is a recipe for it all over the world.”

Why Do People Wear Cheeseheads?
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Why Do People Wear Cheeseheads?

Sports

Why Do People Wear Cheeseheads?

Many Wisconsinites have personal reasons for plopping giant triangles of yellow foam on their heads or wearing wedge earrings to every Wisconsin sporting event — from football to baseball. But let’s go back to the beginning, to one of the first times a person cut up a piece of foam, declared it cheese and wore it on their head.

Wisconsin Life # 703: Collaborative Spirit
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Wisconsin Life # 703: Collaborative Spirit

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life # 703: Collaborative Spirit

Wisconsin Life host Angela Fitzgerald joins Black Arts MKE Performing Arts Summer Camp as they create live theater from scratch. Over the course of four weeks, Milwaukee youth ages 12 to 18 write the script, songs, audition, create the set and even some of the costume pieces.

Janesville Man Introduces People To Ice Age Trail Through Love Of Running
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Janesville Man Introduces People To Ice Age Trail Through Love Of Running

Science & Nature

Janesville Man Introduces People To Ice Age Trail Through Love Of Running

Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a thousand mile footpath tracing Ice Age formations across the state. People are drawn to the trail for a bunch of reasons, and Janesville’s Stephen Strieker is introducing people to the trail through his love of running.