Page 54 – Wisconsin Life

Before natural historians understood that some birds fly thousands of miles south each winter, they looked for other ways to explain their disappearance. Birds were like snakes, they suggested, burrowing for themselves a hibernaculum, an earthy pocket in which to pass the winter.

The Badger Within: Comedian Charlie Berens On Loving, Lampooning Wisconsin
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The Badger Within: Comedian Charlie Berens On Loving, Lampooning Wisconsin

The Arts

The Badger Within: Comedian Charlie Berens On Loving, Lampooning Wisconsin

Geez Louise, comedian Charlie Berens has had a big year. As host of the Manitowoc Minute, he’s performing sold out shows across Wisconsin and his online comedy news show is continuing to rack up tens of thousands of views.

Madison Comedian’s Cell Phone Breaks Up With Him
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Madison Comedian’s Cell Phone Breaks Up With Him

The Arts

Madison Comedian’s Cell Phone Breaks Up With Him

I bet SOME of you…are a little addicted to your phones. Keeping up with texts, social media, news updates, & cat videos…some days, you might spend more time with your phones than the actual living, breathing people in your lives.

Wisconsin Life # 613: Telescopes and Treble Clef
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Wisconsin Life # 613: Telescopes and Treble Clef

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life # 613: Telescopes and Treble Clef

Wisconsin Life host Angela Fitzgerald explores the Milwaukee Astronomical Society’s Observatory in New Berlin. This three-acre property is home to a group of amateur astronomers who maintain nine observatory buildings and telescopes.

Accordion Is All In The Family
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Accordion Is All In The Family

Culture & History

Accordion Is All In The Family

Lifelong musician Ruth Marty still remembers the first song she learned to play. Her father taught her on accordion. “He was the one that had a little schwyzeröergeli, which is a little button accordion, and he wanted me to play that,” Ruth said.

Effigy Mound Tour Provides Unique Perspective On First Nation’s History
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Effigy Mound Tour Provides Unique Perspective On First Nation’s History

Culture & History

Effigy Mound Tour Provides Unique Perspective On First Nation’s History

Aaron Bird Bear is the Assistant Dean for Student Diversity programs in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin Madison. He gives tours of the campus, described as the most archaeologically rich campus in the United States.

Stevens Point Artist Creates Buzz With Encaustic Art
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Stevens Point Artist Creates Buzz With Encaustic Art

The Arts

Stevens Point Artist Creates Buzz With Encaustic Art

Find Jessie Fritsch’s booth at a local art fair, and a crowd of curious onlookers usually isn’t far behind. Fritsch specializes in encaustic art, or paintings using melted beeswax. “It’s considered one of the first forms of easel painting,” Fritsch said.

‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ and its connection to Wisconsin
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‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ and its connection to Wisconsin

The Arts

‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ and its connection to Wisconsin

Did you know the first lyrics for the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” were published in London in 1780? Not only that, but in the northern counties of England, the song was often called the “Ten Days of Christmas,” as there were only ten gifts.

Wisconsin Life # 612: Lost Art, Found Treasure
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Wisconsin Life # 612: Lost Art, Found Treasure

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life # 612: Lost Art, Found Treasure

Wisconsin Life host Angela Fitzgerald is in Madison where the Barony of Jararvellir, a local chapter of the Society of Creative Anachronism, brings history to life. Anachronists are enthusiasts bringing past culture, in this case pre-17th Century cultures, into modern times.

Longing For Las Posadas
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Longing For Las Posadas

Culture & History

Longing For Las Posadas

Las Posadas are an important part of Mexican Christmas tradition. These community celebrations take place on each of the nine nights leading up to Christmas from December 16th to the 24th.

Woodworking Elves in La Crosse Brighten Holidays For Children In Need
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Woodworking Elves in La Crosse Brighten Holidays For Children In Need

Wisconsin Originals

Woodworking Elves in La Crosse Brighten Holidays For Children In Need

Wooden toys are a timeless classic that have appeared under Christmas trees for generations. However, in today’s high-tech world of plastic gadgets, wooden toys are almost a thing of the past.

Washburn Woman Specializes In Basket Weaving With Native Materials
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Washburn Woman Specializes In Basket Weaving With Native Materials

The Arts

Washburn Woman Specializes In Basket Weaving With Native Materials

When Tina Fung Holder goes for a walk, there’s always a chance some part of nature will come home with her. Once inside her apartment, dried sweetgrass is braided into cordage.

Readers Rejoice, A Storylord Comes!
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Readers Rejoice, A Storylord Comes!

The Arts

Readers Rejoice, A Storylord Comes!

Many Wisconsin students grew up watching "Storylords" in the 1980s and 1990s. They’re part of an enthusiastic fan base who remember the TV cart being wheeled into the classroom for "Storylords" day.

Wisconsin Expat Reflects On What It Means To Be A FIB
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Wisconsin Expat Reflects On What It Means To Be A FIB

Culture & History

Wisconsin Expat Reflects On What It Means To Be A FIB

A Story by Author Patrick Somerville. You’ve all heard the term. You know what it means. You’ve muttered it with disdain after some shiny car fails to signal properly, honks unnecessarily or passes you on the right doing 90.

Wisconsin Life # 611: Running Strong
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Wisconsin Life # 611: Running Strong

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life # 611: Running Strong

Wisconsin Life host Angela Fitzgerald is in Milwaukee County where rescue pups of the Door County Sled Dogs show her what dog-powered sports are all about. Each winter, the active group of Huskies travels from their training facility in Door County to the Milwaukee area, to provide educational events around southeastern Wisconsin.