The Lee Rayburn Show

Wildlife experts Jamie Nack and David Drake are back to share how anglers can look out for mudpuppies. Plus, they'll give an update on a project documenting urban foxes and coyotes and celebrate forty years of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Natural Heritage Conservation Program.

The Irish are the second-largest immigrant group in Wisconsin as recorded by the Wisconsin Historical Society. We learn more about genealogy, the resources available to help people learn about their family history and a workshop focused on Irish American history.

The best way to control bad bugs in your garden is to attract beneficial bugs and let them do the work. We talk to a horticulturist about those good insects, how they work, and what they eat.

In 1993, Rita Dove became the first African American to be a U.S. Poet Laureate and the youngest poet ever elected to the position. Rita joins the show to share her inspirational works, including a new collection of poems called, Playlist for the Apocalypse.

We talk with Madison-based author Chloe Benjamin about her own writing practices. She also shares tips for making time for your own writing, whether that be working on a novel or just making time to journal.

The scent of vanilla is a treat for our nose and the plant it comes from is a treat for our eyes. We talk with the world’s leading expert on Vanilla orchids, a species older than dinosaurs and because of environmental factors, is endangered.

Beavers are the largest rodent in North America. They also have a sizable impact on the environment. We learn more about the dam-building animals.

Do anxious owners make anxious dogs? Or vice versa? We look at what the research says with Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Patricia McConnell.

If you visit the UW-Madison campus today, you’ll most likely come across Carson Gulley Commons. From 1927 to 1954, Gulley served as the university head chef and was one of the first African Americans to work there. We remember his legacy as a culinary master and media pioneer.

Nothing brings people together like food. We talk to a local author about her new cookbook and how her businesses and the food she served, nourished the people who came.