- Announcer: The following program
is a PBS Wisconsin original production.
- Angela Fitzgerald: Coming up on Wisconsin Life:
We check out snowmobiles racing on...water?
[snowmobiles buzz]
A pup and his owner spreading joy in Antigo,
[resident laughs]
a world-renowned classical guitarist in Milwaukee,
and a group in Marinette hoping to spot Bigfoot!
That's all ahead on Wisconsin Life.
[whooping]
[bright music]
- Announcer: Funding for Wisconsin Life is provided by:
the Wooden Nickel Fund,
Mary and Lowell Peterson,
the A.C.V. and Mary Elston Family,
the Stanley J. Cottrill Fund,
UW Health,
donors to the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs,
and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
[bright acoustic guitar music]
- Hello, and welcome to Wisconsin Life.
I'm your host, Angela Fitzgerald.
I'm wading through the natrual world
here at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center,
a river classroom for all ages.
Right off the Wisconsin River,
the Center is surrounded
by the beauty of the Dells.
[bright music]
Managed by UW-Madison Division of Extension,
Upham Woods offers year-round programming
like camps, environmental education,
leadership activities, and conservation work,
including on-site research.
In the warmer months,
visitors can venture across the river
to Blackhawk Island, a wooded state natural area
with hiking trails through distinctive terrains.
The area was once inhabited
by Ho-Chunk and Menominee people
until the land was taken by settlers
and became a lumber highway.
In 1901, the land was purchased
by Horace Upham and became privately owned.
Wanting to preserve the natural beauty,
sisters Elizabeth Upham Davis
and Caroline Upham Keene
donated the land to the UW in 1941
for it to be used "as an outdoor laboratory
"and camp for youth
"in the advancement of conservation,
of agriculture, and rural culture."
Before we go too deep,
let's hear from other Wisconsinites
who are sharing their passions.
As we head up to Grantsburg,
where the competition is heating up
as snowmobiles race on water instead of snow!
[snowmobile engines rev]
[heavy rock music]
- Rachel O'Brien: I was mesmerized,
was my first feeling of it.
It was so cool.
- Kim Hallberg: They think it's jet skis on water,
and I oftentimes am like,
"No, it's actually snowmobiles."
- So watercross snowmobiling is actually
exactly what it sounds like.
It is a snowmobile
that we make slight modifications to.
We have two categories.
You can actually be an open mod,
which, that's kind of sky's the limit.
Or you can be a stock,
which is very few modifications.
And we make them for water,
and we're a race association
that you actually race them on water.
These really, really heavy machines
actually become extremely light,
and they carve a lot,
like you would be riding in the mountains, actually,
is how a lot of people describe it.
[snowmobiles rev]
- Watercross was formed in 1977,
and it just started
with a bunch of snowmobile riders
jumping waves across the lake,
and in the winter, they had a hole,
I guess, in the lake,
and they would just go across.
And then they thought, "Hey, we can do this all year."
And badabing, badaboom.
[snowmobiles rev]
- Rachel: A normal race for us is,
we have qualifying heats on Saturday,
so every driver per class gets three guaranteed heats
that they're going to race.
If you have a race where you get a first place,
that's worth one point.
Second place, two points, so on and so forth.
And then, what you want is the lowest amount of points
for the day.
Our course consists of two different types of laps.
There's the inside lane,
and then there's one we like to call the equalizer lane,
or most of us call it the EQ.
You have to take the EQ at one point in your race
for a lap.
The selection is entirely up to you.
It's actually very strategical
when you take that EQ lap
because it is a very, very wide lap.
That can be detrimental to your race
if you pick to go out to that at the wrong time.
Otherwise, it's always guard the front
and look for clean water.
[snowmobiles rev]
These sleds are really easily going 70 now,
very, very easily in a very short, y'know, 1,000 feet,
very short amount of time.
I would say consistently, our pros are probably
in the 50s, 55 range in the oval course
just because of the buoy to buoy action,
and you wanna stay tight and not blow it.
People will actually tell you too,
they don't care who they're racing.
They're just gonna go out and get in front
and try to beat everyone.
This year, we're doing our first annual
big jump contest.
And what that's gonna be is into three categories,
we're gonna have the crowd favorite,
which, y'know, our guys, they're into it,
they're excited, like to dress up.
We have a time trial.
Now, that is, they get two minutes on the clock,
and they have to make as many jumps as they can
in two minutes.
And then we also have furthest distance.
So, how far can they send the sled
off of the jump going,
so that's gonna be really exciting.
We did clarify to each driver
that it was how far the sled went,
not necessarily the body.
- The races are amazing.
We couldn't have a more gracious, genuine group
of racers, who, they love to see the kids involved,
they love to sign autographs.
- It brings together us with family,
community, friends with an abnormal sport,
so it's just a great weekend overall.
- This is probably the most Wisconsin thing
you can find.
[heavy rock music]
- Angela: Next, we make our way to Antigo,
where a dog owner
thinks his beloved pup is pretty super!
Dennis Erickson has had quite
the eclectic career.
There's one thing all his jobs have in common.
- Dennis Erickson: I like bringing joy,
I like helping people.
- Angela: Now retired, Dennis still works part-time
at Eastview Health and Rehabilitation Center
in Antigo.
- Thank you.
- I initially just wanted to go in there and volunteer.
But they said, "With all your experience,
we'd love to have you be on staff."
- Angela: A year after starting at Eastview,
Dennis met Rocket,
a short-legged Jack Russell terrier.
- Dennis: I came over here to visit the humane society
and happened to see Rocket.
He was just very energetic and friendly.
I told Theresa, the manager here,
that I would take Rocket.
I've always appreciated dogs,
and especially well-behaved ones like Rocket.
He's just, he's so good with people.
- Angela: It wasn't long
before Rocket's big personality
landed him a job at Eastview too.
- Dennis: I took him to the nursing home where I work,
and the administrator fell in love with him.
- Shari Zoern: Rocket got involved
about three years ago.
I was on vacation, and when I came back,
there were dog treats in my office.
I didn't know about Rocket.
I said, "What are these dog treats doing in there?"
"Oh, well, they're for Rocket."
I said, "Well, who's Rocket?"
"Well, Dennis's dog."
- His name is on the door, he's on the work schedule.
One day, the director of nursing came up to me
and she said, "I wanna let you know
"that Rocket is the number-one staff person
"at this facility.
"The only complaint I have is once in a while,
he'll nap when he's at work."
- Angela: Although Rocket hasn't had any
offical therapy dog training,
he's learned his fair share of new tricks.
- Dennis: He sits on the residents' laps.
We'll deliver mail,
and Rocket will help with that.
- Bingo Caller: G 48.
- Dennis: Then we have activities
that we do with the residents.
- Angela: For many Eastview residents,
it's hard to put into words what Rocket means to them.
- Sometimes, people that don't necessarily,
they're not able to communicate verbally,
but they can communicate with facial expressions.
- Angela: Their smiles say it all.
- Sharon: He's just happy all the time,
and he brings joy.
- There you go, little boy!
- Angela: For Rocket, it's a new leash on life.
And for Dennis, it's the job of a lifetime.
- Dennis: I enjoy the interaction
with the residents.
They've become like extended family
and they all love Rocket,
so it's a win-win for everyone.
- Angela: Now, Dennis is hoping
Rocket can help people
beyond Eastview by starring in his own children's book.
- This story about him just needs to be told.
And I think a children's book is the way to do it.
- Angela: Dennis conscripted
local cartoonist Brian Ponshock
to illustrate the book.
- Brian Ponshock: I hope that we can get it
to reach a lot of people
and that the local community can be proud of something
that was made right here in town.
- Dennis: The book is gonna be called
Rocket: The Superhero Therapy Dog.
- Angela: Whatever happens with the book,
Dennis knows that Rocket will always be a hero
to everyone he meets.
- I have a favorite lines of a folk song.
It says, "You take the little that you know
"and you do the best you can,
and you save the rest for the quiet faith of man."
He kind of epitomizes that.
[gentle music]
[indistinct conversation]
- I'm in Wisconsin Dells,
checking out Upham Woods and the natural beauty
that's found here in every season.
[gentle music]
I dove right in
with On-Site and Accessibility Coordinator
Rachael Lewandowski-Sarette
to learn about their programming.
- Rachael Lewandowski-Sarette: We have lots of programs
that are very seasonally based
because we do place-based education.
And so, in the winter,
we're doing some of our cross-country skiing
and snowshoeing,
and we even play broom ball with all the kids,
which is kind of like floor hockey.
And in this transitional season,
we get to start introducing
some of our spring activities as well.
We also try to offer a few public programs
like our Early Childhood Nature Club.
And so, they really get to explore this place
over a course of a month and explore different things
from shapes and letters and sounds
to our forest ecosystem and our water ecosystem.
Summer months is chaotic. [Angela laughs]
We can have up to 200 kids here at once.
And so, this place gets really filled
with laughter and chaos.
And then, we get to head across the open water
to Blackhawk Island and take kids hiking
for three to five miles in that state natural area.
And just because it's summer and we're having fun
doesn't mean the science stops.
We still try to incorporate science,
and one of the fun summer activities
is called Wacky Water Critters.
And so, it's a great way to have fun in the water,
splash around, catch things, but also do some science.
- Angela: Absolutely.
Can you tell us
about the historical significance of the land
and what that means for the learning opportunities
that people can have here?
- Rachael: For a long time,
this land belonged to Indigenous people,
specifically the Ho-Chunk and the Menominee.
And so, we partner with the Ho-Chunk Nation
to lead different educational opportunities
and also try to infuse
different Ho-Chunk cultural teachings
into other programs.
We also have a class called Life of a Logger,
where we focus on 18th-century logging camps
and kids get to have the giant saws
and, like, saw really big things.
[instructor exclaims and applauds]
- And so, Rachael,
you use the term place-based learning.
Can you tell us why that's so important
and how that contributes
to the uniqueness of Upham Woods?
- Rachael: So, having kids come to a space
that they can feel grounded in ownership in
has so many mental health benefits.
Getting outside and moving
also has a lot of physical health benefits.
And also specifically,
thinking about accessibility.
A lot of kids with ADHD and autism,
there's studies out there that spending time in nature
actually reduces stress and reduces triggers
back in the classroom.
And so, combining place-based education
and environmental education with classroom learning
can have a whole host of benefits.
[playful music]
- Wow, so definitely, school groups
should be hitting you up to come out to Upham Woods.
- Yes. - Thank you, Rachael.
- Instructor: You ready? - Angela: Uh-huh.
I jumped into the activities.
Whoo!
This is an arm workout.
From trying to live like a lumberjack...
Whoo!
To wading in the river,
looking for wacky water critters.
- That looks good.
- So if you see these things,
it means the water's pretty clean.
- Rachael: Yeah.
- Angela: It's all about cultivating curiosity
and getting outdoors here at Upham Woods.
Now, we leave sounds of the woods
for the sound of strumming,
as we join a world-renowned guitarist
studying in Milwaukee.
[bright classical guitar music]
Kevin Loh is a guitar prodigy
from Singapore who plays with purpose and precision.
- Kevin Loh: I try to provide a sort of refreshing take
on classical guitar repertoire
that really pushes classical music to the next level.
[bright classical guitar music]
- Angela: Kevin is pursuing a master's
in guitar performance
at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
On the classical guitar, he is a virtuoso.
- René Izquierdo: I knew that minute
I heard him play the very first time
that he was gonna be one of the great guitarists
of our time.
- Angela: That's saying a lot,
coming from René Izquierdo,
a maestro on classical guitar
and Kevin's music professor.
- René: He's a quick learner, very quick.
And maybe with the right side of the nail
to get, there you go.
- I first met René in 2014.
It was at a guitar festival in Iserlohn, Germany.
[René singing]
I was just mesmerized right away
as to the level of teaching that René was giving.
And for me, it was a matter of when,
not if, as to when I'd arrive in Milwaukee
to pursue further studies with him.
There's a difference between [note plays]
and [note plays].
One of the biggest lessons that I had already heard of,
but it was really reinforced with René,
was that talent alone is not enough.
[bright classical guitar music]
- René: When you find that talent
meets desire and sacrifice,
that's where you have all those elements
to make a great musician.
- Angela: Before René,
another man started Kevin on a path
from Singapore to success.
[gentle classical guitar music]
- Kevin: My father and I were simply just
playing the guitar in our living room,
and my mother would be behind the camera,
filming us.
[bright classical guitar music]
- Angela: Within a few years,
these home videos had been viewed worldwide
on the family's YouTube channel.
[gentle classical guitar music]
- Kevin: So, it was around 9 or 10 years of age
when people were saying,
"Okay, there's something here.
We can push this further a little bit."
That was when the bigger performances
started to come in,
giving me my debut at the Esplanade Concert Hall,
which is, like, one of the two big concert halls
in Singapore.
At that point, my father and I were like,
"Wow, okay."
You know, all these opportunities came along
because of this added exposure.
I performed in the Berlin Konzerthaus.
I've played in the London Wigmore Hall.
I've also played in places
like the Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
All of these places are real prestigious sort of venues.
[bright classical guitar music]
- René: Everyone on the world stage knows him.
People can tell every time they hear him playing,
even the simplest pieces,
that this is just beyond playing guitar well.
This is just guitar at its best.
- Angela: Kevin has won the highest national
and international awards for classical guitar,
and he could also win a medal for modesty.
- Kevin: It's not so much about the results
or the glamour necessarily.
It really is appreciating the craft
and understanding that it's the journey.
- René: This is one of the best in the world
because right now, he has nothing else left to prove.
- It feels really weird because normally,
he will make sure
to avoid saying anything of the sort.
- That's true. [both laugh]
- Angela: The accolades are welcome,
but what Kevin still cherishes
is the musical advice from his dad.
- Kevin: He was the one who brought the guitar idea
to the table to begin with. [laughs]
He's taught me a lot of life lessons.
He often brought those lessons
through the guitar sessions that we had.
I'm very grateful for that
because I feel that contributed
to the passion of music making very much.
Very good.
- Angela: Today, Kevin is sharing that passion
with UWM students he helps mentor.
[note plays] - Kevin: Yeah.
I find myself saying the exact same things
that he's taught me.
If you're taking a breath physically,
take a breath musically.
And I have that out-of-body experience
where it's like, "Damn,
I'm really turning into my father." [laughs]
[gentle guitar notes]
- Angela: Classical guitar is the instrument
that taught Kevin
your passion can become your profession.
[gentle classical guitar music]
- René: No doubt he's gonna be concertizing,
performing, teaching at the highest level
anywhere he would be.
- You're forging your own path.
You create your own story.
And you only live once, right?
I am just really fortunate to be here. [laughs]
[gentle classical guitar music]
[applause]
- Angela: Our last story
celebrates the believers of the unseen,
as we go to Marinette on the hunt
for an elusive legend of the woods.
[eerie music]
- Kim Lonetree: There is a trail
right next to a bunch of woods.
I was with a couple other people
and I heard footsteps in the woods following us.
- Rich Daniels: There's something big
moving in the woods.
- Avery Barsch: I would describe it
around eight feet, really hairy.
- Rich: This thing was massive. [knocking]
- Barnaby Jones: Something very large
came through the woods towards us.
[snapping] - Rich: And it caught my eye
and I stared right at it.
[animalistic howling]
- Kim: This was a Bigfoot encounter.
[whooping]
- My name is Barnaby Jones.
I am a cryptozoologist and the founder
of Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society.
100%, I believe in Bigfoot.
In 2017, they launched the first convention
here in Marinette,
and they had a huge success.
And then, this is the third year
that we've been back up running,
so six conventions so far, including this one.
Today, we are here to talk about Bigfoot,
and Bigfoot on a very local level.
- In particular in the Bigfoot field,
they believe they have some sort of close contact,
some sort of intimate connection to the creature.
- They had all these people,
and they wanted to bring in speakers
that were knowledgeable about the topic.
- He believed he had encountered something
not of this universe.
- Barnaby: To come in and present their findings
to people local in the area.
[recording of roar]
- It's all about Bigfoot,
and it's all these individuals
that are very interested in Bigfoot and cryptids
coming out to this conference.
- This is a phenomenon that's not just on TV.
It's not just in the Pacific Northwest.
It's all over this country.
- A lot of people come the conventions like this
because they have nowhere else to go.
They have these experiences, they have these stories,
and if you tell somebody that you see a Bigfoot,
you've had a ghost encounter, a UFO encounter,
people look at you
and they're gonna think that you're crazy.
So events like this, it gives people an outlet
to come and be with their people.
[eerie music]
[aerosol spraying]
Through almost every inch of this property,
so I have a pretty good idea of what most things are.
We're going out on this property,
we are taking groups of people
because everyone wants to go out with us and see this.
So we're gonna go out on the property,
we're gonna see what happens.
We're looking out over here,
and this creature is standing there looking at us,
and the lights are-- the eyes are illuminated
to the fact that I can take my flashlight away
and they still shine.
[coyotes yelping]
That's coyotes.
- Rich: It's the perfect laboratory
for studying this field,
because there's activity almost every time
you walk out there if you're paying attention.
- Barnaby: We have gathered every kind of evidence
that is possible.
We've gotten thermal, we've gotten trail cameras,
we've gotten audio, footprints.
We've gotten it all off this property.
- Kim: I personally believe
that what they've experienced on that property is real.
[animalistic yelping]
- Is that you or something natural?
- Rich: I thought that was you.
- It was an amazing experience.
- We got to hear a howl,
followed by a lot of coyotes howling at the same time.
- Barnaby: And that's what draws people
to these things like the paranormal,
ghosts, Bigfoot, all of that.
Because people want to believe in something more.
That there's not just an end to this.
That there's more out there to be discovered.
It's the sense of adventure.
- If you go out looking for these things
and you expect to find them every time,
you're gonna be very disappointed.
- If you go out there to share stories,
spend time with people,
you're always gonna have a good time.
- Rich: One thing's for sure.
Once you have an experience with this,
it never leaves you.
[person howling]
- We've enjoyed the great outdoors
in one of the most scenic spots in Wisconsin
here at Upham Woods.
Connect with us on social media
or by emailing stories@wisconsinlife.org.
Find more on our website, WisconsinLife.org.
Until I see you again, I'm Angela Fitzgerald,
and this is our Wisconsin Life.
Bye!
[bright music]
- Announcer: Funding for Wisconsin Life is provided by:
the Wooden Nickel Fund,
Mary and Lowell Peterson,
the A.C.V. and Mary Elston Family,
the Stanley J. Cottrill Fund,
UW Health,
donors to the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs,
and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.