Best WXPR Public Radio Podcasts (2025)

In Wisconsin’s story, where tall pines once fed the logging booms, the rivers also carried life from forest to farm. Flowing from its headwaters in Forest County, the Wolf River connects the Northwood’s to central Wisconsin, and gave rise to more than timber, it gave us the Wolf River Apple, a variety that looms larger than the rest, quite literall…

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Deer mice role, fall water safety, Supreme Court race 6:29

Play Pause

24d ago6:29

6:29

WXPR News for 10-01-25By John Burton

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Lyme Disease protection, 7th District race, preventing falls 6:45

25d ago6:45

6:45

WXPR News for 9-30-25By John Burton

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Fall color season, deadly Wausau area crash, theater in Park Falls to close 5:58

26d ago5:58

5:58

WXPR News for 9-29-25By John Burton

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The "Spymaster of Los Angeles" and his northern Wisconsin beginnings 3:22

2M ago3:22

3:22

From the iron hills of Hurley, Wisconsin, came a man who waged war not with weapons, but with secrets. Leon Lawrence Lewis, born in Hurley in 1888 to German Jewish immigrants, would one day be called the “spymaster of Los Angeles.”By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Ruffed Grouse in the Northwoods 4:29

2M ago4:29

4:29

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses Ruffed Grouse – a hallmark species in the Northwoods.By Scott Bowe

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Rhinelander’s Wartime Map Paper 2:50

2M ago2:50

2:50

Rhinelander Paper Company, quietly played a vital role in getting our troops the tools they needed to fight and winBy Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: The Fruits of Summer 5:11

4M ago5:11

5:11

One of the many wonderful things about summer is the arrival of fresh and tasty local fruits.

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Rhinelander’s Boom Lake Boat Races 4:26

4M ago4:26

4:26

There was a time when Boom Lake in Rhinelander wasn’t just a quiet, scenic waterway, it was a Northwoods’ racetrack.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Mosquitoes in the Northwoods 5:08

5M ago5:08

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In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses mosquitoes – a favorite insect of the Northwoods.By Scott Bowe

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Soda Pop and Steel Bars: The Curious History of Tourist Bears in the Northwoods 3:44

5M ago3:44

3:44

It wasn’t all that long ago that seeing a bear in Northern Wisconsin wasn’t just a wilderness encounter. It was a roadside attraction.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Canadian Nightcrawlers: More Than Just Bait 4:04

6M ago4:04

4:04

While they’re famous among anglers, few people realize that Canadian Nightcrawlers—Lumbricus terrestris—have a fascinating biological story all their own, one that stretches across continents and ecosystems.By Gretchen Gerrish

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A Northwoods Love Story: The Hodag Wedding 3:48

6M ago3:48

3:48

What began as a whimsical marketing campaign by the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce transformed into a memorable community celebration of local culture.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Nitrogen Fixation and Bombs 5:02

7M ago5:02

5:02

Though it may be a nuisance in some situations, tag alder has a magic trick – it can fix nitrogen.By Susan Knight

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Frozen in Time: Northwoods Ice Storm History 2:02

7M ago2:02

2:02

The Northwoods is no stranger to winter weather, and ice storms have historically been among the most destructive. But even by Wisconsin standards, the most recent ice storm that slammed northern Wisconsin March 29th and 30th, 2025 was one for the books.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Frost and Roads 5:02

8M ago5:02

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In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses frost and roads – all part of managing our sustainable natural resources.By Scott Bowe

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Lelah Starks: Potato Pioneer 5:00

8M ago5:00

5:00

In the heart of Wisconsin’s Northwoods, Lelah Starks tilled out a legacy that would shape the potato industry for generations. A woman ahead of her time, Starks became one of the most respected seed potato growers in the country, blending science with practical farming expertise.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Calling a fish a ‘fish’ 3:33

8M ago3:33

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‘Fish’ is one of those words, useful in the image it evokes but less reliable as a lineage, clearly defined.By Gretchen Gerrish

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The Doctor is in: Remembering the life of Dr. Warner S. Bump 4:09

9M ago4:09

4:09

Among storied Northwoods doctors are names like Torpy, Pelham-Newcomb, Sheik, and Cline. But one Rhinelander doctor worked diligently to usher in a new age of medicine during his five decades of practice, Dr. Warner S. Bump.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Otters 4:57

9M ago4:57

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Otters are mustelids and related to other Northwoods mammals including mink and weasels. They were common throughout North America until Europeans overharvested the animals for their warm, dense and beautiful coats.By Susan Knight

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Field Notes: The Fish of Vilas County 4:15

11M ago4:15

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In this episode of Field Notes, Lonnie Parry Gillis takes us on an exploration of the fish of Vilas County, Wisconsin—an area blessed with an astounding 1,300 plus lakes.By Lonnie Parry Gillis

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Looking back at Rhinelander’s winter weather history 3:37

11M ago3:37

3:37

Winter weather records are a fascinating thing to explore, from the longest stretches with snow on the ground to the heaviest snowfalls in a single season or day. Digging into the record books is a chance to relive the power of winter, and today, we’re taking a look at some of Rhinelander’s most memorable winter weather events.…

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Field Notes: Producers and Consumers 4:43

12M ago4:43

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In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses producers (plants) and consumers (fungi) in the forest world around us.By Scott Bowe

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Rhinelander Woman’s Club played important role in Women’s voting rights 2:30

12M ago2:30

2:30

On Friday, March 12, 1920, the Rhinelander Woman’s Club gathered at the Teachers Training College in the old Oneida County Courthouse for a special “mock election.” This wasn’t just a simple exercise—it was the final exam for a citizenship class that aimed to prepare local women for their first opportunity to vote in a U.S. Presidential election.…

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Field Notes: Bountiful Blooms in our Water Bodies 5:59

1y ago5:59

5:59

Seasonal blooms are common and often monitored in warm and high nutrient lakes throughout southern Wisconsin, but are less commonly reported in lakes up north. This makes it challenging to track and manage across the 1,000s of regional lakes.By Gretchen Gerrish

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Tony Sarocka, Remembering a Rhinelander Football Standout 3:56

1y ago3:56

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Anton Sarocka, known as Tony, was a standout football player for Rhinelander High School. Born in Port Washington on October 11, 1910, Tony graduated in 1928.By Kerry Bloedorn

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The Three Lakes Cyclone, 100 years after 3:55

1y ago3:55

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Sunday, September 21st, 1924 is listed on the Wisconsin Watch website as the third worst day of tornadoes in state history.Few single communities were impacted that day as much as Three Lakes, Wisconsin, which suffered the worst tornado in it’s historyBy Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Harvesting Ginseng 5:38

1y ago5:38

5:38

One of the crops most iconic to our area is ginseng, Panax quinquefolia. Marathon County, just south of Lincoln County is the center of ginseng farming, not just in Wisconsin but it is recognized as the largest source and the best quality of ginseng in the world.By Susan Knight

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Field Notes: Thermally Modified Wood 4:21

1y ago4:21

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In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses thermally modified wood, a chemical free way to preserve wood for outdoor use.By Scott Bowe

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The Enterprise Forest Radiation Project 3:08

1y ago3:08

3:08

Few people know that the Northwoods was once exposed to intense radiation for scientific research amid fears of nuclear war. Fifty-one years ago, a site near Rhinelander, Wisconsin, was developed to study radiation’s effects on northern forest ecosystems, known as the Enterprise Radiation Forest Project.…

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Tank Mired in the McNaughton Muck 3:33

1+ y ago3:33

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Whenever talk turns to military tanks in the Northwoods, one story still echoes through the forest: the time a mighty tank was swallowed by the infamous McNaughton Swamp, some 65 years ago.By Kerry Bloedorn

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Field Notes: Know your salamanders 5:05

1+ y ago5:05

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Salamanders, newts and mudpuppies are amphibians, and they are all salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts or mudpuppies.By Susan Knight