Researching and Sharing Forest History with Recollection Wisconsin
2025-04-16 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Virtual, Zoom Webinar
Join us to learn more about Recollection Wisconsin, a centralized search and access portal for sharing the digital collections of over 260 partner organizations around the state of Wisconsin. With over 750,000 items from over 450 collections, there’s something for everyone in Recollection Wisconsin! We’ll also discuss how to add collections and organizations to the portal for greater access and discoverability.

Presented by Kristen Whitson — Kristen Whitson is the Digital Specialist and Consortia Manager for WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services) where she focuses on project management for Recollection Wisconsin. Kristen is particularly interested in communities of practice and peer-to-peer learning in the archives, and she enjoys making digitization and reformatting achievable for organizations of all shapes and sizes.

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bjDHby4uRAyXslfQQ1DEYg#/registration
Please note: The webinar is Free, but pre-registration is required.

Time and Timber: A History of Gingerbread Clocks, 1850–1950
2025-08-20 18:30 - 19:30
Time and Timber: A History of Gingerbread Clocks, 1850–1950 explores a century of American innovation in clockmaking through the lens of forest resources and design evolution. This presentation traces the development of the iconic gingerbread clock—from elaborately carved Victorian showpieces to widely accessible household timekeepers—highlighting how native hardwoods and emerging manufacturing techniques shaped their production. Blending elements of design history, industrial progress, and cultural significance, the program offers a compelling look at how timber and timekeeping became intertwined in American homes between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.

Presented by Don Schnitzler a member of the Forest History Association of Wisconsin, its Board of Directors, and “collector” of antique clocks.
Register in advance for this webinar:
hhttps://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S_RsM0ooS1aPcSwyXwBoyQ#/registration
Please note: The webinar is Free, but pre-registration is required.

The Weekend To Remember, April 20-22, 1934
2025-09-17 18:30 - 19:30
Dillinger at Little Bohemia
John Dillinger accompanied by nine others checked in at Little Bohemia for rest and escape from the ever vigilant eyes of law enforcement. They were told that this was a place where no one would ever find them. As the weekend unfolds one of the most historic moments in gangster and FBI history occurs in a small Northwoods community that suddenly hears the sound of gunshots in the night.

Presented by Kay Krans: Kay Krans is a board member of the Manitowish Waters Historical Society. She is a Retired high school history teacher and lecturer in the Department of Education at Mississippi State University. Much of her local history research involves uncovering crime and criminals in the Northwoods.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g-dV-xO4S9SORrtSOuYzTQ#/registration
Please note: The webinar is Free, but pre-registration is required.

The Chainsaw: The Most Versatile Power Tool in the World
2025-10-15 18:30 - 19:30
This presentation explores how the chainsaw revolutionized the logging industry and found its way out of the forests. Loggers were the first to acquire chainsaws for personal use around their farms and homesteads. As the tool was refined over the years, it was adopted for other uses in art, war, sport, conservation, entertainment, and numerous other industries.
Presented by James Card: James Card has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Foreign Policy, and other national publications. He is the only journalist in history to have stories about ice fishing and deer hunting featured on the front page of The New York Times. Between stints as a magazine editor and journalist, Card worked as a line-clearance tree faller. He is the author of Chainsaw Love: Field Notes on the World’s Most Dynamic Power Tool and The Dawn Patrol Diaries, recounting his experiences as South Korea’s only fly-fishing guide. He lives in central Wisconsin and cuts firewood with a chainsaw throughout the year.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Us9EZj-6TxmJsx5-twjXGg#/registration
Please note: The webinar is Free, but pre-registration is required.

Wolves in Wisconsin
2025-11-19 18:30 - 19:30
Join wildlife biologist Richard P. Thiel for an engaging exploration of Wisconsin’s wolves—past and present. This presentation will trace the natural history of the species, examine the ecological principles of predation specific to wolves, and offer a thoughtful overview of wolf management in Wisconsin. Beginning with the bounty era of the 1920s–1950s, Thiel will illuminate the evolving relationship between humans and wolves across decades of policy, perception, and conservation.
Presented by Dick Thiel: Dick Thiel led Wisconsin’s timber wolf recovery project (1980–1989), helped draft the state’s Wolf Recovery and Management Plans, and remains active in wolf education. He’s authored key books on wolves and conducts annual ecology workshops through Timber Wolf Information Network, advocating for fair understanding of this often-misunderstood predator..
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_A0FyKP-gTR-IZa-XurEQpQ#/registration
Please note: The webinar is Free, but pre-registration is required.

"Timber!" A Northwoods Story of Lumberjacks, Logging, and the Land
2025-12-17 18:30 - 19:30
A presentation about the book “Timber!” by Susan Apps-Bodilly and co-written with Jerry Apps. This book, suitable for young readers and people of all ages, recounts the history of logging in the Midwest through the era of reforestation. The book also includes ways to appreciate and care for our forest lands today. Susan will also discuss connections to Jerry Apps’ book, “When the White Pine Was King.”
Presented by Susan Apps-Bodilly: Susan Apps-Bodilly is a retired educator and writer. She taught elementary and middle school students for 34 years. She holds a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. When she is not reading or writing, Susan enjoys spending time with her family, hiking at the family cabin, kayaking, and experimenting with new recipes using produce from her garden.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AKO41A1ERMGayEzyvKPTtw#/registration
Please note: The webinar is Free, but pre-registration is required.
