Page 7 – Wisconsin Life

Waking up to greet the day, Liz Beukema reaches for the alarm every morning at 4:20 a.m. She crates her pigeons and loads them in the truck. Beukema has had the same routine for more than a decade, and jokes that might be why pigeon racing is a low participation sport.

Wisconsin Life: Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin
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Wisconsin Life: Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life: Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin

Angela Fitzgerald spreads her wings in Appleton at the Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin, a non-profit preserve celebrating the vibrant insects. The seven-acre complex offers visitors a serene backdrop to learn about pollinators and the native plants they need to survive, while preserving 40 different butterfly species native to Outagamie County.

Rebirth of the Julia Belle Swain
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Rebirth of the Julia Belle Swain

Culture & History

Rebirth of the Julia Belle Swain

The history of La Crosse is forged by the waterways that traverse western Wisconsin. Out on the upper Mississippi River, Ellis Inman knows this river well. His dad Bo was the captain of the Julia Belle Swain riverboat in the nineties.

Inside the den: DNR researchers track Wisconsin’s black bears
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Inside the den: DNR researchers track Wisconsin’s black bears

Science & Nature

Inside the den: DNR researchers track Wisconsin’s black bears

It is estimated there are 24-thousand black bears roaming Wisconsin. The population is expanding, and bears have even been spotted as far south as Grant County on the Illinois border. The primary bear range continues to be the northern third of the state.

Wisconsin 101: Smart Studios Banner
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Wisconsin 101: Smart Studios Banner

The Arts

Wisconsin 101: Smart Studios Banner

In the Wisconsin Historical Society collection, there’s a dark, surreal black and red banner. It’s painted with a chaotic collection of eyes and mouths seemingly calling out to the bold word above them: SMART.

Wisconsin Life: Zócalo Food Park
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Wisconsin Life: Zócalo Food Park

Full Episode

Wisconsin Life: Zócalo Food Park

Step into Milwaukee’s Zócalo Food Park, where food trucks serve up a world of flavors in historic Walker’s Point. Co-owner Jesus Gonzalez shares how this culinary incubator is lowering barriers for aspiring restaurateurs and celebrating the city’s multicultural roots.

‘Just think of the life you gave her’: Writer cherishes final months with her Colombian mother
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‘Just think of the life you gave her’: Writer cherishes final months with her Colombian mother

Culture & History

‘Just think of the life you gave her’: Writer cherishes final months with her Colombian mother

When Alexandra Rosas of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, was growing up, her mother, Leonor Pinzon de Rosas, worked three jobs to provide for her six children. Alexandra wished she could see her more.

State’s oldest orchestra thrives under new conductor
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State’s oldest orchestra thrives under new conductor

The Arts

State’s oldest orchestra thrives under new conductor

The honorific Maestro typically given to an orchestra conductor conjures up images of a stern taskmaster or demanding perfectionist. But in Spanish, the word translates as “teacher.” To watch Paraguayan-born conductor Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi take to the podium and wield the baton you see he fits more into the teacher role.

‘Sending love her way’: Folding money boats to remember departed loved ones
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‘Sending love her way’: Folding money boats to remember departed loved ones

Culture & History

‘Sending love her way’: Folding money boats to remember departed loved ones

A lot goes into planning a funeral when a loved one passes away. For writer Yia Lor of Eau Claire, she helped fold thousands of money boats to honor her sister, Jer Lor.

Community blooms at Milwaukee flower shop
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Community blooms at Milwaukee flower shop

The Arts

Community blooms at Milwaukee flower shop

A constant in Mikel McGee’s life has always been flowers. Both her grandmas were avid gardeners. Her maternal grandmother had a beautiful flower garden where she grew peonies and roses. After school dances, she would save her flowers by putting them in her freezer.

Reducing the world to English: My job as a court interpreter
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Reducing the world to English: My job as a court interpreter

Culture & History

Reducing the world to English: My job as a court interpreter

Every day in courthouses across the state, people’s lives are affected in consequential ways. Author Shauna Singh Baldwin of Milwaukee suggests the stakes can be even higher when there’s a language barrier involved.

Raiders of the lost memorabilia found in Sheboygan
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Raiders of the lost memorabilia found in Sheboygan

Wisconsin Originals

Raiders of the lost memorabilia found in Sheboygan

Michael T. Miller has always enjoyed the magic of the movies. “There is something to be said about a small theater and it’s just you,” Miller says. “Me and this movie that I’m watching, it’s like there is a connection.”

Cheering for the Milwaukee Brewers … AND the Chicago Cubs
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Cheering for the Milwaukee Brewers … AND the Chicago Cubs

Sports

Cheering for the Milwaukee Brewers … AND the Chicago Cubs

The rivalry between Milwaukee Brewers fans and Chicago Cubs fans is heated. All the more so this season, after Craig Counsell went from being the Brewers manager to the Cubs manager.

Harry Houdini and his unbreakable chain to Appleton
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Harry Houdini and his unbreakable chain to Appleton

Culture & History

Harry Houdini and his unbreakable chain to Appleton

Harry Houdini was a master of illusion. Appleton officials have paid tribute to his talents with a museum exhibit and naming rights — all because he spent some time in the city as a child.

Smashing the patriarchy, one ollie at a time
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Smashing the patriarchy, one ollie at a time

Sports

Smashing the patriarchy, one ollie at a time

Madison’s skating scene is taking a stride towards inclusivity with the introduction of Femme & Queer Skate Night. This grassroots initiative, born out of a need for safe and affirming spaces, is quickly gaining momentum within the community.