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.
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The Northwoods Forest History Experience opened in Vilas County this summer.It’s a joint project of the North Lakeland Discovery Center and Manitowish Waters Historical Society.
As trees are just starting to bud this spring, some parts of the woods are carpeted with bright green foliage.Ramps—or wild leeks—are hitting peak harvesting time in the Northwoods.
What started as a simple message to be kind and to be nice has grown into a community effort to support neighbors in need in the Mercer Area.“Megan’s Kind Community” is now an official non-profit dedicated to this mission.
The entirely volunteer-run light display at Hodag Park starts December 1st.
For three decades, The Table has been a place for people to gather and share a meal.Run out of St Augustine's Episcopal Church in Rhinelander, The Table has gone through some changes over the years but its commitment to community remains.
Artists in Ironwood are painting three murals on buildings throughout the city that focus on species of ecological significance to the region.
For 75 years, Lac du Flambeau tribal members have shared their culture and traditions with visitors at the Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl.Each week the Indian Bowl invites visitors to experience a Pow Wow.
A small farm in Lincoln County sells its produce by a simple motto--“pick what you need, pay what you can afford.”The couple who runs Tranquil Acres says it’s their way of helping their community eat healthy.
The Eagle River Ice Castle has been a tradition since 1933 back when it was referred to as an ice palace.While designing and coordinating the build has changed leadership over the decades, it still remains an effort by the whole community.
It’s a tradition for many people to send out Christmas cards to friends and family wishing them well and sending them love.One Northwoods woman is sending out more than 500 cards this year, all of them going to strangers.
ABR trails in Gogebic County was started in 1995 by Eric Anderson and his father on their family homestead.Over the years Eric and his wife Angela have grown it into one of the top Nordic ski centers in North America.Now the Anderson’s are giving the business away, so it remains this way for generations to come.
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 close look at the 2023 Meno Keno Ma Ga Wen Powwow
