It's been a busy couple of weeks eventhough "In Wisconsin" hasn't been on the air. This week, we return to our regular Thursday at 7:30p time slot.

In Wisconsin Reporter Jo Garrett visits Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center, a downtown oasis for birds migrating north. You will discover how this urban jewel has been reclaimed from drug dealers and criminals by birdwatchers and citizen scientists.

We also have a QUEST report by In Wisconsin Reporter Andy Soth as he looks at Wisconsin's first great scientist. Increase Lapham was a self-taught renaissance man who dabbled in botany, archaeology, forestry and climatology. Discover how his influence is still being felt in the state two hundred years after his birth.

You won't want to miss the teen musicians in the statewide Bolz Young Artist Competition. For several months, they have been auditioning but only four remained standing on the stage of Overture Hall in Madison. This week you'll meet cellist Elliott Yang of New Berlin. With the arrival of spring you can also discover a very urban section of Wisconsin's Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Janesville through the camera lens of videographer Mike Eicher.

In Wisconsin airs 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24 on Wisconsin Public Television. The program also will air at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, March 27 on Milwaukee's MPTV and on WDSE-TV in Duluth at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 27.

Tonight is the premiere of our In Wisconsin special called "Our Birds". For the past 2 years Reporter Jo Garrett and Videographer Frank Boll have been crafting this documentary about Wisconsin's migratory birds. It premieres tonight at 7:00 p.m. on Wisconsin Public Television.

We also just found out today that Milwaukee Public Television will air this hour long documentary on May 12, 9:00pm and repeat it May 14, 2:00pm.

Give it a watch and then drop us a line in the comment section below. We'd like to hear your feedback. Emjoy the show.

As the producer of In Wisconsin... I invite you to watch this week's show no matter where you live. We are based in Madison but our newsmagazine hosted by Patty Loew covers every corner of the state. In Wisconsin airs in most places at 7:30 on Thursday nights and there is an encore presentation at 10:30 Sunday night.

In Milwaukee it's a bit different with a broadcast time of 11:30 Sunday morning. And not to be outdone... we also have viewers in Minnesota. In Wisconsin is carried by Minnesota Public Television (WDSE-TV) in Duluth at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday for viewers in the Northwest corner of Wisconsin. I'm sure the Minnesotans who watch will enjoy the Packer report we have planned for our first show in February.

But I'm jumping ahead of myself... this week In Wisconsin features reports from around the state that include a new low-speed rail plan for Milwaukee, restoration on a 1916 Frank Lloyd Wright home, a very personal mission for a New Richmond High School student interested in stem cell research and find out how the Wisconsin DNR is using high-tech decoys to catch hunters who break the law.

You'll find a lot of critters in this week's episode of In Wisconsin everything from white tail deer to bald eagles and you might even catch a few pine martens.

First, this month the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is launching the largest deer study ever in the State of Wisconsin. There's a growing concern among some hunters that the Wisconsin deer herd is being decimated by predators. In a related move the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently decided to go ahead with plans to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Wolves were hunted to near extinction in Wisconsin before they returned on their own.

You can find out more about deer research at the WI DNR site. They're also signing up volunteers to do deer research.

Once endangered but not anymore... the dramatic comeback of the American Bald Eagle in Wisconsin is an inspiration for other states. Every winter bald eagles are attracted to the open water and prime fishing on the Wisconsin River below the dam at Prairie du Sac. You can catch a glimpse of these majestic birds in videographer Frank Boll's video essay. If you'd like to see them soar this weekend is prime time. It's the 22nd annual Sauk Prairie Eagle Watching Days. To find out more click on this link http://www.ferrybluffeaglecouncil.org/eagledays/index.html And finally in this week's show they appear to be cute and ready to cuddle but pine martens can be vicious. This pint-sized predator is a member of the weasel family. The animal was driven from the state by excessive trapping around the turn of the century. Wisconsin researchers re-introduced pine martens in the late 1970's but it failed to take a foothold. At the same time martens in Minnesota and Michigan are thriving. In Wisconsin Reporter Jo Garrett gives you an update on the battles in a three year research project to find out why.

It's all this week on In Wisconsin, Thursday night at 7:30 on Wisconsin Public Television. Or catch the encore presentation Sunday night at 10:30. And if neither of those times are convenient you can always watch those reports right here on our website. Let me know what you think of the show.

I looked up the definition of "legacy" and found in The American Heritage Dictionary legacy is described as 1) money or property bequeathed to another by will 2) Something handed down from an ancestor or predecessor.

In the case of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum this pristine piece of property is a legacy. In 1934 it was bequeathed to the people of Wisconsin. A gift from Wisconsin's conservation leaders handed down to generations to come and the lessons learned on this property are still being gifted forward.

When the University of Wisconsin Arboretum was first founded the Arboretum committee introduced a groundbreaking concept known today as "ecological restoration." The focus is on re-establishing historic landscapes, with native plants and animal communities. But the work today is not about returning to the past but rather improving on Aldo Leopold's experiment known as Curtis Prairie.

So I invite you to join us for an all new In Wisconsin special called "Landscape Legacy", airing at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 (tonight) on Wisconsin Public Television. If you are reading this blog at a later date you have another chance to watch the encore presentation at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 7:30 p.m. Wisconsin Public Television

After you eat all that turkey, stuffing and desert turn on the tube for a feast for your eyes.

This week "In Wisconsin" reports on the historic work of Camp Madison's Civilian Conservation Corps. The University of Wisconsin Arboretum is the site of the nation's first restored prairie. This prairie restoration is the vision of Aldo Leopold and built by members of the Camp Madison CCC.

Plus new information about the largest DNR deer research study in Wisconsin history. In Wisconsin Reporter Frederica Freyberg looks at how the DNR is responding to hunter complaints.

And In Wisconsin Reporter Andy Soth goes in search of Increase Lapham as Andy kicks-off a new initiative titled "Quest. Named Wisconsin's first great scientist, Lapham was a self-taught renaissance man who dabbled in botany, archaeology, forestry and climatology. Discover how two hundred years after his birth Lapham's influence is still being felt in the state.

"Quest" is a project that delves into issues about Wisconsin's environment. For more information, visit QuestWisconsin.org on the Web.

This week I've slated several new reports for In Wisconsin. One of the more interesting is a new approach to burials, admittedly, not everyone is comfortable thinking about. It's called green or natural burial. Wisconsin is starting to provide options for this end of life choice. Find out what this eco-friendly option is all about and why it is being met with some opposition.

You'll also see an inspiring report about Andy Janiki. He's a quadriplegic but that's not stopping him from exploring the wilds of Wisconsin. Four different state parks are now offering rentals of adaptive kayaks made specifically for people with disabilities. It has allowed Janiki to regain his freedom.

Next week - Thanksgiving night -we take a look at a historic deer research project in Wisconsin, the making of the UW Arboretum by the boys in the Civilian Conservation Corps and a little trivia. Do you know who's considered Wisconsin's first scientist?

You'll get the answer on In Wisconsin Thursday's at 7:30 p.m. on Wisconsin Public Television.

Tonight WPT is airing "Wolves in Wisconsin" at 8 pm, just after NOVA. The show will repeat on Thursday November 4, 10 pm. This hour special collects the many stories on wolves that IN WISCONSIN has produced over the last five years. We hope you get a chance to see it.

As a producer, I found the topic of wolves to be a fascinating one. In particular, the report we produced on Maremma dogs was completely new territory. These flock protection dogs have been used for centuries in Europe to protect against wolf depredations. We count on dogs, for protection work, detection work, guide work, alarm work, and for companionship and joy. All of our various breeds of dogs originate from wolves.

Check out the special. Let us know what you think!

The saga of the return of the Gray Wolf to Wisconsin has another chapter. This week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began the process "de-listing" the wolf from Endangered Species Protection in the West Great Lakes Region.

If you'd like more information, click on this link for the full press release from the Wisconsin DNR.

If you'd like more information about wolves in Wisconsin, check out our series of reports that aired on "In Wisconsin".