The Wisconsin Podcast

ESPN Wisconsin contributor and former Sports Editor for The Capital Times, Adam Mertz talks about the shifting expectations for this year's Wisconsin Badgers football team, running back Jonathan Taylor's place in Badgers history, brutal Wisconsin sports losses, and the Brewers and the baseball Hall of Fame.

Outdoorsman Noah Wishau discusses the confluence of hunting and politics regarding chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Wisconsin deer, its parallels to the public debate about climate change and what he sees as a generational imperative to protect nature for future generations.

Jim Lattis holds a Ph.D. in History of Science from UW–Madison and is the author of many publications in that field; he helped create UW Space Place, the outreach and public education center of the UW–Madison Astronomy Dept. and has directed it since its founding. Lattis talks about Wisconsin's contribution to the field of astronomy, his public outreach efforts and what he makes of flat-Earthers.

Wollersheim Winery owner and winemaker Philippe Coquard comes from a family of French winemakers. He came to America and Wollersheim in the 1980s and became the winemaker in 1985. Wollersheim Winery grew rapidly and garnered national media attention with the introduction of its Prairie Fumé wine in 1989. In the coming decades, Wollersheim became one of Wisconsin's most well-known wineries.

Wisconsin picture book writer Pat Zietlow Miller, discusses her craft, getting into writing books for children and where her creative ideas start. Miller's first book “Sophie's Squash” was published in 2013. She has published numerous books since including “Wherever You Go” and “The Quickest Kid in Clarksville” and “Be Kind” — a New York Times bestseller.

Old World Wisconsin depicts Wisconsin's immigrant past by recreating the sights, sounds and spirit of those who came to the state to build their futures. Anna Altschwager, the site's assistant director of guest experience, explains the museum's origins and what she hopes guests take away from their visits.

Former Wisconsin Badgers fullback Matt Bernstein discusses his collegiate football career, Wisconsin fandom, Madison-appreciation, and his famous Yom Kippur game in 2004. Bernstein, not normally a ball carrier, was pressed into heavy service after completing a 24-hour fast and helped lead the Badgers to a win over Penn State.

Writer Erin Clune discusses her humorous version of a self-help book “How to Leave: Quitting the City and Coping with a New Reality.” The book tracks Clune and her family's decision to leave life in New York City and move to her hometown of Madison, Wis., as well as the struggles of others who have made similar decisions.

Beer columnist for the Wisconsin State Journal Chris Drosner discusses the craft of beer review and commentary, the state of craft beer in Wisconsin, and his broader journalism career. Drosner started his career working for the Green Bay Press-Gazette before heading to the Wisconsin State Journal. He's currently the executive editor for Milwaukee Magazine.

Mark Walters is a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman's Journal, in 1989. You can read about his adventures, which include hunting, fishing, canoeing and backpacking, in 60 different newspapers on a weekly basis. Walters is also committed to getting young people into the outdoors. He created the nonprofit Kids and Mentors Outdoors, or KAMO.

Horicon Marsh, located in southeast Wisconsin, is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the U.S. It has been formally recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention of the United Nations and is one of the best birding locations in Wisconsin. DNR Wildlife Conservation Educator Liz Herzmann offers an insider look at the renowned outdoor venue.

The Aldo Leopold Foundation was established in 1982 with the mission to inspire an ethical relationship between people and nature through the conservationist's legacy. The Foundation's executive director Buddy Huffaker discusses Leopold's enduring legacy in Wisconsin and around the world.

Former Wisconsin State Journal Assistant City Editor Mark Pitsch, who also worked as a state capitol reporter and was the president of the Society of Professional Journalists in Madison, discusses his life in journalism, as well as a brief stint working for The Onion.

Former state archaeologist and author of several books about Native Americans in Wisconsin, Bob Birmingham explains why Aztalan, located near Lake Mills, is one of the state's most significant archaeology sites.

Rural communities have seen declines in young adults. The population shifts have been the subject of study by Randy Stoecker, a UW-Madison professor, with a joint appointment in the UW Extension Center for Community and Economic Development. He is also known for working with many community groups.

Packers blogger and podcaster Brian Carriveau traces his journey from teaching to sports writing to opening a new tavern and eatery in Madison. Carriveau also reflects on his book about Wisconsin's amateur baseball scene in the Home Talent League.

What was the impact of Voter ID legislation on the 2016 Presidential Election in Wisconsin? What are the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's review of Wisconsin's redistricting? And how can elections run smoother? Barry Burden, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the director of the Elections Research Center, shares his research and analysis.  

As a co-producer on the Precious Lives project, a two-year radio series about young people and gun violence in Milwaukee, Aisha Turner was challenged to tell stories about a difficult and frustrating subject. She explains the difficulties of the work and how it impacted her own life.

Jason Stein is a former state capitol reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and previously the Wisconsin State Journal. He was recently named the Research Director of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, an independent, nonpartisan research organization analyzing Wisconsin state and local government finance, education, and economic development.

Johnny Walsh is a Madison lawyer and stand up comedian. He recently won the annual Madison's Funniest Comic Contest at the well-regarded Comedy Club on State. Walsh, who is legally blind as a result of Usher Syndrome, discusses making his parents laugh and where he hopes to go with comedy.

Author of the new book “Home of the Braves: The Battle for Baseball in Milwaukee,” Patrick W. Steele recounts the history of how the Boston Braves came to Milwaukee, won a World Series, and eventually left for Atlanta.

Jalen Knuteson, a young local sports reporter for the Daily Jefferson County Union, discusses local sports coverage, a UW-Whitewater basketball player trying to make an international difference, and his mission to humanize sports and the athletes that compete.

The WDNR's large carnivore specialist Scott Walter discusses recent cougar sightings in Wisconsin, what the animals are doing in the state, and what the WDNR is doing to monitor them. Walter, also oversees the development and coordinator of wolf and bear management.

UW-Milwaukee professors Dr. Jean Creighton and Dr. Bernard Perley discuss their roles in the new cultural show “Indigenous Voices: Sharing the Wisconsin Sky” at the Manfred Olson Planetarium. Creighton also shares her backstory and mission to communicate and inspire with astronomy.

With Opening Day fast approaching this week, Caitlin Moyer, the director of new media for the Milwaukee Brewers, shares stories about Hank the Ballpark Pup, Bob Uecker, and Brewers recent tribute to the movie The Sandlot.

Appleton Post-Crescent photographer Dan Powers spent nearly three weeks covering the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea as part of the USA TODAY Sports Images team.

Hockey broadcaster and former newspaperman Bill Brophy, a longtime friend of former Wisconsin Badgers Hockey Coach Jeff Sauer, discusses the coach's career and human impact. Brophy is the president of the Coach Sauer Foundation, which strives to continue the late coach's passion for providing access to the game.

Karen Oberhauser, the new director of the UW-Madison Arboretum and an internationally renowned monarch butterfly researcher, discusses the growth of citizen science projects, why she chose monarchs as a research subject and how the mission of places like the arboretum will evolve.

Avid hunter and fisher Noah Wishau recently started the podcast Wisconsin's Hunting Heritage. Wishau talks about the future of hunting in the state, what he's learning from talking to other hunters and conservationists, and the gulf of opinion between hunters and anti-hunters on a range of issues including gun control.

Project SNOWstorm uses innovative science to understand snowy owls, and to engage people in their conservation through outreach and education. David Brinker, a Wisconsin-raised ecologist, discusses the project and its recent effort to add trackers to snowy owls in Wisconsin.

David Drake, UW-Madison professor and extension wildlife specialist, discusses the UW Urban Canid Project, a study on red foxes and coyotes living in urban Madison. The project aims to investigate the way canids are living in the city and how we can coexist with these wild neighbors.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel opinion columnist and Our Lives Magazine Editor Emily Mills discusses writing about and engaging with politics. Mills also reflects on covering the 2011 Wisconsin State Capitol protests, and her passion for punk music and roller derby.

Elk once ranged throughout Wisconsin. They were driven out in the 1800s due to over hunting and habitat decline. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Deer and Elk Ecologist Kevin Wallenfang discusses the effort to reintroduce the big game animal in the state.

Wisconsin is in the midst of a snowy owl irruption. What's an irruption? Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bird Monitoring Coordinator Ryan Brady explains the influx of snowy owls, provides viewing tips, and explains why people find them so entrancing.

The National Park Service's Bob Krumenaker discusses his work as superintendent of Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The park is known for historic lighthouses, beach and cliff landscapes, and sandstone sea caves, which turn to ice caves in the winter.

A look back at some of the best moments from The Wisconsin Podcast in 2017, including snippets from former journalists Jen McCoy and Adam Mertz, Wisconsin Book Festival Director Conor Moran and author Melanie Radzicki McManus.

Korbel's master distiller Paul Ahvenainen explains how brandy is made, discusses the changing liquor industry, and digs into why Wisconsinites take their brandy drinking so seriously.

ESPN Wisconsin on-air contributor and former Capital Times Sports Editor Adam Mertz talks Badger football, how Twitter and fan blogs have affected sports journalism, and the fate of steroid-era baseball players in making the Hall of Fame.

Fifty years ago, Otis Redding's plane crashed into a Madison lake, killing the Georgia-born soul singer and most of his band. Biographer Jonathan Gould reflects on Redding's life and death and why people still talk about that plane crash.

B.J. Hollars, associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and founder and executive director of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild, discusses his latest book “Flock Together: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds.”

Wild turkeys were nonexistent in Wisconsin 50 years ago. Today, they're abundant. National Wild Turkey Federation District Biologist Rick Horton calls the reintroduction a great conservation success story.

Jon Riehl and Peter Rafferty of the Wisconsin Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds discuss the testing of autonomous vehicle technology in Wisconsin and the impact it could have on society in the years to come.

As a reporter for the Portage Daily Register, Jen McCoy profiled many of the community's veterans. She also reported on the death of a soldier in Afghanistan working closely with the young man's family.

Native American poet Louis V. Clark III discusses coming face-to-face with racist mascots, NFL protests and his new book “How to be an Indian in the 21st Century.”

Prior to writing his new book “The Close Encounters Man,” Wisconsin writer Mark O'Connell contributed to a handful of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He recounts his fascination with science fiction, including the Star Trek series.

Wisconsin author Mark O'Connell discusses his book “The Close Encounters Man,” a definitive biography of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a noted astronomer and public figure who popularized discussion of the UFO phenomenon.

You know that civil dialogue everyone says we're suppose to be having? Well, the Wisconsin Book Festival is a place where it happens, says Director Conor Moran. In addition to talking about its importance, Moran provides highlights for the event that runs Nov. 2-5.

Melanie Radzicki McManus, author of “Thousand-Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail,” discusses her long hike across Wisconsin and her career as a travel writer.

Kent Van Horn from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources discusses why the sandhill crane population in Wisconsin is growing, the prospects of a hunt, and the confluence of nature and spirituality in his life.

ESPN Wisconsin on-air contributor and former Capital Times Sports Editor Adam Mertz talks Badger football, the decline of the Capital Times print edition, and shares stories from inside Camp Randall as a student and also a journalist.