- Announcer: The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original production.

- Angela Fitzgerald: This week on Wisconsin Life: meet a crochet prodigy hooked on his craft, an animal lover caring for injured birds, a comedian taking the stage by storm, [audience laughs]

 and a man with an unusual chainsaw collection.

It's all ahead on Wisconsin Life! 
[upbeat music]

- Announcer: Wisconsin Life is funded in part by Alliant Energy, Lowell and Mary Peterson, American Transmission Company, the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.

- Hello, I'm Angela Fitzgerald, and welcome to Wisconsin Life. Today I join the Wisconsin chapter of Girls Who Hike, as they prepare to take on the trails at Mirror Lake State Park. This state park is north of Baraboo, and lives up to its name, with trails surrounding a pristine lake that reflects its surroundings. There are also campsites, historical buildings, and plenty of ways to enjoy the water. Girls Who Hike, the group I'm with today, is a hiking organization with chapters around the nation. The community gives anyone who identifies as female, a chance to get outdoors together, at one of their free events. Just like the event we're gearing up for today, a three-mile loop through one of Central Wisconsin's natural beauties. Before we hit the trails and enjoy the park, let's step into our first story. 
[shimmery music]

Which takes us to La Crosse, to meet a young man whose love of crocheting, has led to a pattern of success, 
[upbeat music]

- Hello, crochet friends! Hi, crochet friends, it's Jonah, and I have some really amazing news to share with you today. My name is Jonah Larsen, and I live in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I'm 11 years old, and I love to crochet. 
[acoustic guitar music]

So here is my first ever crochet project. It's a dishcloth that I made when I was five-years-old.

After finding a bag of leftover crafts, I just saw this hook, and the shine caught my five-year-old eye, and after that, I just fell in love with crochet and now I have that dish cloth I made on my very first day, and the hook that started it all. 
[funky bass music]

- It got around to family, of course, and neighbors got to see his work, and one of our neighbors, she came to me and she said, "You know, the fair's right around the corner, why don't you enter some of his items?" He was six years old, so he had to go up against the grandmas at age six. He won many, many ribbons, and right now, he's probably at about 100, and actually won Best of Show this year.

- Our local paper, the La Crosse Tribune put out an article about my crochet, and then it kept going to bigger news stations and TV stations, and papers, and online articles, all sorts of things.

- And we have Jonah Larsen here with his mom, Jennifer. Good morning to both of you guys!

- Jonah: Good morning to you, too.

- Jennifer: He loves to be on TV. He loves to entertain.

- I'm thinking maybe, like, some sort of book.

- Jennifer: He likes to teach.

- Let's use this granny stitch, which is double crochet.

- He's going to be speaking at the Ethiopian embassy, so he has so many different platforms.

- Hi, crochet friends, it's me, Jonah, and I have some really exciting news in the publishing world, and that is, the book cover revealing.

Here it goes. I don't remember Ethiopia. I can't see my birth mother's face. I have no memory of the orphanage that took me in as a baby.

- Jennifer Larson: We didn't know a lot about him. We knew that he had been abandoned, that he was ill, 
and that he needed a family.

- Here's a picture of me with my mom and dad heading on a plane for Wisconsin.

- Jennifer: We got him home and we took him immediately to our hospital, and within days, it just seemed like he was thriving.

- Jonah: Here's a picture of me meeting my older brother, Leif, for the first time. He was around four or five at the time, following him around everywhere as soon as I could walk.

- Jennifer: Jonah has always been a rambunctious child, a curious child, and a smart child.

- Jonah: As I got older, school and classroom work were kind of boring for me, and I didn't really like to follow rules.

- I got called, my husband got called, a good two to three times a week to come pick Jonah up, and it was very, very difficult and challenging. We had everybody trying to help.

- I was doing things that I was not supposed to be after I finished my work, and then, my fifth-grade teacher knew I crocheted, and she said I could bring it into the classroom, and then, work on it after I finished my assignment.

- Jennifer: We were a little reluctant. His older brother, Leif, in only a protective way, cautioned him that he might be bullied if he brought that to school. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and Jonah marched in there with his yarn and his hook.

- Jonah: I didn't feel jumpy or jittery. I didn't feel like I needed to do something to get attention.

- We never got called again, ever, since that day he brought the crochet to school.

[peaceful music]

- I remember the day when my husband looked at me and we had this thought, "You know, "we have one more room in the house that doesn't have anybody in it," and so we said, "Let's go back and do it again."

Within a year, we went back, and we brought home a little girl, and her name's Mercy.

I do think Jonah and Mercy have a special bond because they are from the same tribe. So it's fascinating how each journey takes us to another and another.

- Jonah: Sometimes, I do think about what my life would have been like if I didn't ever find that crochet hook, but basically, it's just wonderful, and I love to crochet and design.

- So, we have people from all over the world following him and telling us what a difference that crochet has made in their lives, even if they don't crochet because it brings them joy. The message of, "Do what makes you happy, no matter what."- Angela: Now we head to Antigo, where the founder of a non-profit is working to heal injured birds, big and small.

- Are we ready? Everybody ready? 
[ethereal new age music]

- Mm-hmm.

- The prairie chicken was really special because she is one of those that we don't get to see very often. And, in fact, we had never had one admitted before. She had some severe things to overcome. 
[percussive music]

It was very much a celebration when she was able to be released.

Birds have always been a part of my life. You know, my love of birds started from the time I was born. My very first word was "birdie." And my parents, they knew they were in trouble at that point in time, I think. 
[laughs]

I'm Marge Gibson, and I'm founder and director of Raptor Education Group in Antigo. 
[whistling]

We have bids that are injured in some way, or orphaned, all native species. And, the way they get to us, is people find them, not the DNR, and, you know, not Fish and Wildlife Service, but a member of the public that finds them. First of all, you get the phone call, and so we're prepared for whatever's coming in. People deliver it to the door, and we are able to examine it right away, as soon as it comes in. He's a small male. Doing a very quick physical on it's really important. So we can diagnose properly what's going on, and then get it treated quickly.

With birds, you have a very brief window of time to treat them because they're very high strung, and handling them, and doing the exams, and things are stressful on them. We are able to x-ray all of our patients now when they come in, and we're finding out some very interesting things.

- The tip is gone though, right? The hook is gone? Or is it embedded?

- No, it's in there.

- It's embedded, okay. A lot of the patients are shot that we would have had no idea about. We have had unusual cases, and I think that, you know, we treat such a wide range of species, that birds like American Bitterns, and they're sort of shy, quiet birds of the marshland. 
[speaking gently]

This is very exciting stuff for you. What do you think?

You go, little man. You take care! 
[wings beating against plants]
[wings fluttering rapidly]

 Oh, there you go! There you go! Just what a bittern's supposed to do.

They're unusual coming in because we don't see them very often, and, in fact, nobody does.

Our use of foster parents is something that we're really known for, and something that we actually started probably 20 years ago, using foster parents to rear babies, so they're not imprinted to humans. And we started working with owls.

Right now, we have an adult male, who's not releasable to the wild.

The father plays just as big a role as the female, and he takes really excellent care of the babies. This year he had seven. There are other years when we have strong storms and things that bring trees down, where, you know, he has more. 
[piccolo marching music]

So, this afternoon, they're going to graduate from a small area to a larger flight area. And they haven't been flying very much at this point, they're still sort of fluffy babies getting their feathers in. But today, they're going to be able to go out and start that process of working toward flight

and toward their future, which is release.

One of the things that we try very hard to do here too, is to expose people to how amazing wildlife is, 
and to do a lot of wildlife education to raise the level of awareness. I think the public need to know that they're someone who can help a species by not taking down that dead tree.

- Hi!

- By, you know, not using pesticides. Oh, my gosh. If you're a hunter, changing your bullets to copper, as opposed to lead.

Oh, that's you, buddy boy. Look at that one.

He flies really well, though.

So, there's many things that we can correct, just by not doing, or just becoming more aware of it. 
[high-pitched "kwit-kwit-kwit kwit-kee-kee-kee-kee-ker"]

Our eagle population has grown, and that's through the protection of the Endangered Species Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act, as well. Because there's more interaction with the public, more that are hit by cars, there's more that get tangled up in fishing line, there's more that swallow lures.

[speaking Menominee prayer] 

And it's an amazing life, truly, the birds are such... such spirits, they're such amazing individuals and species, and we really feel like, it's what was meant to happen, and we're meant to be here, and it's really perfect.

- One, two, free! 
[cheering]

[shimmery music]

- I'm hitting the trails with a local hiking group to see more of this state park near Baraboo. Girls Who Hike gather across Wisconsin, bringing women together outdoors. Today's hike is at beautiful Mirror Lake State Park, where I caught up with the park superintendent, to learn about the highlights of this nature oasis.

- Probably the most important feature here in the park is our namesake, which is Mirror Lake, and it's a 137-acre lake, called Mirror Lake because of the sandstone cliffs that close in much of the lake. It blocks the wind and it makes for a very calm surface, which is mirror-like in the reflection, which is where the name came from. We have canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and pontoon boats that can be rented, but many people bring their own. But we do have almost 19-miles of hiking trail that people really do enjoy. We have a fishing pier, a boardwalk, 
just shy of 150 campsites here.

- So, a lot of different features are available?

- Yeah, definitely, I really just like the variety of opportunities that there is for outdoor recreation here.

- Angela: Including the opportunity to experience nature alone or with a group. So, it was time for me to meet up with the local chapter of Girls Who Hike.

- We operate nationally, and I am personally just the ambassador of the Wisconsin chapter. We try to do hikes all over the state.

- And what might we expect on our hike today? Because when I heard three miles, I was a little bit intimidated. So, what might happen during today's hike?

- It's three miles--not actually as far as you would think.

We're expected to have some great views. There's some cool viewpoints off of the trail I picked. I think we are gonna stop by Echo Rock, and we're gonna walk along the lake, so there's gonna be some pretty lake views today, which will be very nice.

- Looking forward to that.

- Yeah. 
[energetic music]

- So, tell us about kind of the empowerment aspect that comes as a byproduct of being a pat of a group like this.

- We're all about getting women out on the trails and into nature and experiencing the outdoors. If you're a beginner, it's your first hike, or you're experienced, you've been hiking for 30 years, we take everybody. It's just a really great community of women that we have built up.

- So, literally, a community is built around hiking, so that you don't have to go at it alone, you have this whole other group you can tap into to enjoy hiking with.

- Exactly, Yeah. 
[upbeat music]

- It's a beautiful park, being enjoyed by a supportive community, bringing women together.

We switch from ladies on the trails to ladies on the mic as we meet a comedian in Madison who embraces the spotlight.

Comedy can be a risky business.

- God, I shudder to think. 
[laughs]

- Originally from Texas, Dina Nina Martinez, along with her dog Gertie, arrived in Madison via Los Angeles.

- Trailblazer, one might say. Wisconsin being more rural, as a whole, it's different. 
[affectionately]

 I love your nugget face!

- And Wisconsin has given Dina lots of fodder to be funny.

- Please make some noise for my friend Dina Nina Martinez! 
[audience cheers]

- I'm plus-size. I guess I'm normal-sized in Wisconsin, but..." 
[laughter]

People are like, "I just hate it when you talk so badly about yourself." For me, it's taught me more about myself, and taught me how to love myself more. And what I've found when I moved to Madison Wisconsin, was so much love, so much acceptance. And then it's taught me the power of humor, and lots of food.

I tell people if you're moving to Wisconsin, forget the freshman 15, it's the Wisconsin 45.

It's just a story.

- Angela: Getting up on stage gave Dina confidence to lay her life story bare. To be judged, to be laughed at, and laughed with.

- I grew up in a small town in Texas, and was always arty, never fit in.

Storytelling for me is a space where you're able to be a lot more vulnerable and real. And still be funny, and I talk about my dad, 
his passing, and our relationship.

We go through a heartache and tragedy, and then there's gotta be some levity at some point that changes it and gives you a different momentum. 

My cousins were all, "Dina you're purdy an' all, but even after the surgery, you're not gonna be a real woman.”

- Audience: Aww. 

- Dina: I know.

- Angela: Comedy became therapy for what Dina has been through in life.

- When I first started it was scary. I almost didn't talk about the trans experience, because I had so many people be like, "What? I'm confused." As a trans person, it's important for me to be visible and open. 

I wasn't born in the wrong body, I was just born to become something greater, or something different or someone new.
[audience laughs]
I date a lot of millennials is what I'm saying. 
[audience laughs]

Which makes me a cougar. [rawr, rawr, rawr!] You know, like, yeah! Nobody has anything to put on me, I've already put it out there, so it's power.

- Angela: That power propelled Dina to take her career and her life in a new direction.

- There was a point where I just realized that I wasn't a showgirl, 
and realized that I essentially, I want to be a soccer mom.

And so, when I moved to the Midwest, I didn't know what to expect. And I live in Madison, so I'm composting.

Being in Wisconsin is just so fun and weird, and I've experienced a warmth from the people that I didn't expect, and acceptance from the people that I didn't expect. And I found this camaraderie with women in the Midwest that I'd never experienced before.

- I know, you looked at me and you were like, “She looks like she… watches a lot of makeup tutorials 
[audience laughs]
and eats a lot of pizza.”
[audience laughs]

- Angela: Humor is what gets Dina noticed. Her message is what resonates with women.

- My issues with my body are just like any other woman, like, we tend to not like our inner thighs. I feel like my inner thighs are like two kids on a long road trip, you know? 
[laughter]

"Mom, she's touching me", 
[laughter]

"Stay on your side!" 
"She's touching me!" 
[laughter]

- Angela: Sometimes her humor is about motivating others.

- I am an entrepreneur. I am the founder of Lady Laughs comedy and Artemis Bow Productions. Be powerful funny women in the world because it needs you to be that person. You're doing the right thing!

- Angela: Dina takes her voice seriously. To her, it's no joke.

- The times that we live in are so sensitive, and it's so important for me to be kind, loving, and accepting. There's a responsibility in what I do. There's that voice inside of you that's like, "You don't belong here. You don't know what you're doing." 

I want to be appropriate, and I want to be empowering of all women. Who hears that every day? Right?

- Angela: Her underlying message: Never give up!

- Do you know how many people have told me, "I'm never gonna make it in the industry? "I'm too old, I'm too fat, I'm too trans, I'm not trans enough."- Angela: By not giving up, at age 50, she's been named one of the hottest queer women in comedy, and Dina, the actress, has been cast in her first major motion picture.

- Oh, God, so I'm gonna be in a movie called Two Men and a Pig. Gonna have Dermot Mulroney from My Best Friend's Wedding. 
[in a sly voice]

 I get to make out with him!

It's so exciting! 
["heh, ha"]

 That's all.

- Angela: In the spotlight, Dina has found her voice, in what she describes as an amazing journey.

- Just being a person is hard, being a queer person is even harder. Especially if anyone's struggling with gender identity, like, I want you to know that it's possible to have a complete and amazing full life.

I like myself, I think, for the first time in... my life. Live your truth as best as you can, and as hard as you can, and as soon as you can. Thank you, guys, I'm Dina Nina Martinez. 
[audience cheers]

- Angela: For our last story, we journey to Medford to join a collector preserving the history of a well-known tool in a very unusual way. 
[chainsaw buzzes "brum-brum-brum-brrrrrrrr"]

[idling saw snarls and rattles]

[tree creaks and groans, snaps and cracks, lands with a soft thud]

- Gordy Leckies: Logging has changed a lot, and equipment has changed a lot, and people are still proud of being loggers. And I was very proud to be a logger. 
[chainsaw choke clicks, starter rope whirs, safety brake clacks off, engine revs and whines]

 My old neighbor from where I grew up out in the country, died, and they were having an auction with all the equipment. And that was the first time I went to an auction with the intent, "I'm gonna buy some chain saws for my collection." And then, it kind of bit me. Over here, we have some left-handed models. Well, I got a couple of Stihls that look similar, but they are different. That one there I know a lot of story. It is pretty well beat up, but that is a true warrior of the elm era. When I first started, I bought the cheapest stuff I could. And you know 50 cents or a dollar or two dollars for a chainsaw was fine. Everybody's collecting these big two-mans for 25 bucks. I'm gonna buy these little guys for 50 cents. So, that was kind of fun. You know the old saying of, "One man's trash, another man's treasure," right back there, that's the truth of it.

[upbeat music]

We needed to organize it somehow, so that the collection could be seen by whosever driving down the road. And exactly how we came up on the telephone pole? I don't recall.

Well, we put up one pole, we put up another pole, we put up another pole, all of a sudden, here it is! It's like, how did this happen? Don't know, but it's here. 
[chuckles]

This is just hilarious for people to stop and take pictures of. Then they say, "Oh, my brother owned one of those, and the neighbor guy had one of those."

Now, I've changed my collecting thoughts and I'm going to be able to put together a mobile museum of the evolution of the chain saw. 
[country sytle accoustic guitar]

 These are the ones that set the pace for everybody to try to match 'em. 
[country-sytle pluckin']

That's one of my goals and it's, sometimes it's hard when you set a goal, to get to it, but someday I believe I will.

[passing traffic]

- Bye, ladies!

- Ladies: Bye!

Phew, that was an intense hike. But I've met some amazing women getting outdoors to enjoy all our state has to offer. If you want to learn more about what we featured today, including the Wisconsin chapter of Girls Who Hike, and Mirror Lake State Park, visit WisconsinLife.org. We want to hear from you. So send us your ideas at Stories@WisconsinLife.org.

I'm Angela Fitzgerald, and this is our Wisconsin Life. Happy hiking! Bye!

[peaceful music]

- Announcer: Wisconsin Life is funded in part by: Alliant Energy, Lowell and Mary Peterson, American Transmission Company, the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.