WXPR We Live Up Here: Recent Episodes
WXPR Public Radio
WXPR's We Live Up Here series is a home for stories that focus on the people, history, and culture that make the Northwoods of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan such a unique place to live.
Every July, dozens of fungi experts and novices descend on the Town of Hiles in Forest County.The town of around 450 people has been dubbed the Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Mycological Society because of the diversity of mushrooms that can be found in the area.For WXPR’s We Live Up Here, Katie Thoresen tagged along on this year’s Hiles Mushroom Foray to learn more about what makes this area so unique.
Every year, in Phillips, Wisconsin, members of the community show up in droves for the annual Czech-Slovak Festival.
Loneliness is considered a public health issue.There is growing evidence it is associated with the onset of depression and other common mental health problems.Artists and community members are working to create the “Together Sculpture” as part of a larger effort to combat loneliness in the Rhinelander area.
Forest County Potawatomi Community’s Lee White published a series of children’s books before his passing in 2020.
Ski for Light is an international non-profit that aims to teach visually- and mobility-impaired adults the sport of classic cross-country skiing.The lack of snow made the ski-part of the Ski for Light event in Rhinelander last week a bit hard to pull off.But in true Northwoods fashion, they found a way to make the best of it.
Native Americans have a long tradition of using all parts of animal when they harvest it.In recent history, that’s been limited to deer, beaver, or muskrat.Now that the Forest County Potawatomi Community has brought back bison to its farm, the tradition of processing them has also returned.
Right now, this year’s Capitol Holiday Tree is standing in the Capitol Rotunda waiting for decorations.The tree made its way to Madison from Rhinelander this week.For WXPR’s We Live Up Here, Katie Thoresen shares the story behind the tree and what it took to get it to the Capitol.
Mountain biking has gained popularity in recent years, especially in the Northwoods as trail systems continue to grow.But the sport is still heavily dominated by men.Little Bellas is a national organization that focuses on teaching girls to mountain bike and the life skills that come with it.
A group of Korean-Americans are departing Forest County Friday after spending the week learning and sharing with the Forest County Potawatomi Community.The 4th annual cultural exchange gives each group the chance to share parts of their culture while making friends.
Sloyd is an education system developed in Finland in 1865 and is still widely used in Scandinavian countries.At its core, it teaches children character development through woodworking.A new school teaching the Sloyd Experience recently opened in Iron County, Wisconsin.As part of WXPR’s We Live Up Here Series, Katie Thoresen takes us to one of the classes and introduces us to the man bringing the skill set to the Northwoods.
An outdoor art installation in Land O’Lakes invites people to immerse themselves in music, visual arts, and nature.The sound garden created by director and composer JG Everest has returned for another year.As part of WXPR’s We Live Up Here, Katie Thoresen explains how this community art project encourages everyone to be an artist.
A Forest County Potawatomi man will be defending his Wisconsin Middleweight Boxing championship title tomorrow in Green Bay.As part of WXPR’s We Live Up Here series, Katie Thoresen spoke with Mark Daniels Jr. about how the sport has shaped who he is.
Millions of birds are flying back north after a long winter.The spring migration also draws people seeking to catch a glimpse of the birds before some continue even further north for the breeding season.
Tucked among downtown Rhinelander’s supper clubs and coffee shops is a gaming store. It’s where people gather to play games like Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and Warhammer. The store has such a devoted following that it was recently hand-selected as one of just three Wisconsin locations to host an exclusive competition for a new card game.
Minocqua is bringing a legendary snowman back to life – and it’s not Frosty. It’s Snowmy Kromer, a 40-foot-tall snowman that has graced Northwoods winters with its presence for decades.
When COVID cast a cloud of gloom over everyday life, one Northwoods photographer took to Facebook to spread joy. Bob Kovar shared a photo and accompanying positive thought each day on social media throughout the pandemic. Now he’s publishing a collection of those photos and thoughts in a book.
There’s no shortage of beautiful places to get outside in the Northwoods.But how you can enjoy those places and what to expect from them changes based on their designation.As part of WXPR’s We Live Up Here series, Katie Thoresen introduces us to State Natural Areas and a man being honored for dedicating his life to preserving them.
There’s no shortage of beautiful places to get outside in the Northwoods.But how you can enjoy those places and what to expect from them changes based on their designation.As part of WXPR’s We Live Up Here series, Katie Thoresen introduces us to State Natural Areas and a man being honored for dedicating his life to preserving them.
Waterskiing is one of the top summertime sports for residents and visitors alike in the Northwoods.But for some the love gliding across the water goes beyond laps around the lake.
The Northwoods is full of unique places visits and fun things to do.And it never hurts to do them with a little positivity.That’s the message two Northwoods women are trying to share on social media are they travel around the area.
Homesteading can bring to mind images of pioneers trying to survive on the American frontier. But it’s a lifestyle that hasn’t disappeared from the Northwoods.
Darren Thompson's talent has made him sought after, including by the music director from the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
Wabeno is a small town in Forest County with a big focus on the arts.For more than 40 years now, the Wabeno Area Players have entertained crowds with their performances.
Skijoring is a growing sport in the Northwoods.If you’re not familiar with the it, picture cross-country skiing where the skier is led by one or two dogs with a long rope connecting them.A local woman is making her name nationally known in the sport.
The City of God is a recently released 90-minute documentary that explores how one Haitian community approaches development. It was produced by Rhinelander’s own Nate Sheppard.
Sub-zero temperatures are not for everyone, but for one Northwoods adventure-seeker, the colder the better.
In the early 1900s, thousands of settlers moved into the Upper Midwest to farm lands that were recently cutover by timber companies. Many challenges and hardships would befall these early farmers, from the short growing season to extracting stumps and rocks from their fields. Most of these early attempts to farm clearcut lands ended in hardship and misery. This is a story of an Ironwood Township farm and vineyard finding success in one of these underused farmsteads.
Bill and Donna Kallner from eastern Langlade County are what you might call a “crafty couple.” Bill constructs fish landing nets and Donna makes textiles with natural wool and dyes. For the last 20 years this has been their primary source of income.
For Duluth, Minnesota resident, Emily Ford, a “hike” isn’t a leisurely stroll through the woods in a t-shirt and shorts. This winter, it’s a trudge through snow, ice, and cold across Wisconsin. Ford is hiking the entire twelve hundred miles of the Ice Age Trail in the state, setting a lot of “firsts” as she does it.
Have you ever stopped and admired an old wooden canoe or an early motorboat on a lake? If you have, you are not alone as the beauty and craftsmanship of these early watercraft captivates many including boat builder Josh Swan who is keeping the tradition alive.
If you live in the Northwoods, you know there are still many family-run funeral homes. Funeral home directors, along with the entire funeral industry, have made changes as a result of the pandemic. But small community funeral directors often have an extra burden.
If you live up here, you are familiar with the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. What you may not know is that these forests were inhabited for thousands of years and that there is a team of archaeologists who protect and manage these cultural resources.
The Northwoods has long been known for its active art community. Jim Skibo visited two local artists to learn how the COVID-19 restrictions have changed their art and the way it is sold.
A logical result of the pandemic and a weakened economy would be a sluggish real estate market in the Northwoods and elsewhere. Instead, real estate purchases are booming in many parts of the country including the Northwoods. Ironically, the pandemic and stay at home orders may be behind a recent surge in local real estate purchases.
When the Wolf River reached record levels late in July, the raft and tube rental concessions closed because of concerns for rider safety. But for experienced canoe and kayak paddlers, like Brian Heikenen and Martin Dawson, this was, perhaps, a once in a lifetime experience. Heikenen checks the USGS gauge in Langlade almost daily.
The 1920s were known as the golden age for the construction of grand, opulent theaters, called “movie palaces.” While most of these epically built theaters have been either shuttered, repurposed, or demolished, one “palace,” the Historic Ironwood Theatre, has not only persevered but still retains its vibrant and elegant charm.
When Joseph and Myrtle Kretz established Kretz Lumber in 1929, it was just a small sawmill. Today the company just south of Antigo is an employee-owned global company that has expanded into other areas including forest management, education, and now a fine craftsman line, which sells directly to small commercial woodworkers along with hobbyists.
Langlade County Health Officer Meghan Williams’ guidance to people in the Northwoods might sound familiar. It is like the guidance you may have heard from many county health officers.
There are many things that make the Northwoods unique, like supper clubs, the Old Fashioned, and summers on the lake. To that list you can add waterski shows. There are more waterski teams in Wisconsin than in any other state. The Minocqua ski team has been in existence for over 70 years.
The death of George Floyd and the resulting protests have brought scrutiny to all police forces with many people calling for radical change in their practices. This is true in the large metropolitan police forces, but it also is at the forefront of the rural police forces in our Northwoods.
For graduating seniors in Northwoods high schools, things have not gone as planned. Besides having to do online learning, missing out on the prom and spring sports, the school year is ending with virtual graduations. And for those students planning to go to college this fall, there is still uncertainty how that will go.