Wisconsin Life is a multi-platform project from Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin that produces media for radio and television. The project’s award-winning producers travel Wisconsin to share stories about what it means to live in or be from Wisconsin.

Some stories are colorful, humorous, and surprising. Others are emotional and thought-provoking. All are personal, engaging, and rich with the diversity of Wisconsin life.

Anne Strainchamps, who helped launch the project, says “Beyond the breaking stories and big events shaping our time, life as we actually know it unfolds on a smaller, slower, more intimate scale. What if alongside the headlines, we brought you news of the everyday? What would it be like to document changing seasons, conversations with neighbors, local lore?”

We are proud to be a partner in lifting the voices of our state's poets and writers, workers and thinkers, students and community members...and every week, there are more stories to hear.

We share a unique Wisconsin Life story on our Facebook page every Tuesday at 11AM. You can hear Wisconsin Life at 6:45 and 8:45 AM on Wednesdays and Fridays during "Morning Edition" on WPR's NPR News and Music Network. It also airs on WPR's Ideas Network at 7:35 AM on Wednesdays and Fridays during "The Morning Show" and at 4:35 PM on Wednesdays and Mondays during "Central Time."

Up In The Trees

Climbing trees is a childhood pastime. But for arborists, scaling trees to keep them healthy is a serious pursuit. Shelly Wollerman is a certified arborist and the state's women's tree climbing champion who shared her story for for our Working Lives project.

Menominee Tribal Member Started Business to Help Himself and His Neighbors

Arnold Chevalier grew up mainly on the Menominee Reservation in Neopit, WI, about 50 miles northwest of Green Bay. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident at a young age. This story about the former chairman of the Wisconsin Humanities board was produced for our Working Lives project.

ER Nurse

Amid the hustle of the state’s busiest emergency room, nurses have to keep a cool head. This story produced for our Working Lives project takes us inside a hospital on Milwaukee’s northwest side to meet registered nurse Rebecca Ramazini.

Migrant Dairy Worker

Wisconsin’s reputation as the dairy state relies on labor from countries like Mexico. Alejandro is a dairy worker in Buffalo County who shared his story as part of our Working Lives project.

Trapper

Fur trapping drove Wisconsin’s economy for more than 200 years. Trapping remains a way of life for some Wisconsinites, including one may who now runs a trapping store and teaches others how it’s done. This story was produced as part of our Working Lives project.

Restoration Car Mechanic

On a dead end street in the tiny village of Brooklyn, a former windmill factory now houses some of the most beautiful cars in the world. Albrecht Stachel is the man behind the wrench. This story was produced as part of our Working Lives project.

General Forman at the State's Tallest Building

Milwaukee's U.S. Bank Center is over 600 feet tall with 13,000 volts of electricity flowing into it every day. For the last 20+ years, Rick Rosenberg has been in charge of making sure the lights stay on. This story was produced as part of our Working Lives project.

Guitar Maker

Todd Cambio is a luthier who specializes in guitars from the early 20th century. He sells his hand-crafted instruments to musicians worldwide. This story was produced as part of our Working Lives project.

Professional Angler

For many Wisconsinites, fishing is more than just a pastime. Marianne Huskey is a walleye angler who grew up fishing with her family. She who fished her first professional tournament in 2009. In 2012 she became the first female to win Angler of the Year. This story was produced as part of our Working Lives project.