В Манитовиш-Вотерс открыли интерактивный опыт изучения истории северных лесов

This summer, visitors to the northwoods got a new way to learn about the region. The Northwoods Forest History Experience in Manitowish Waters is built to tell the long history of the northwoods, but simultaneously create an interactive experience. Walking through a refurbished 93-year-old Civilian Conservation Corps barracks, the starting point of the experience, visitors learn about the history of Ojibwe land management, how logging and fire shaped the region, and modern management practices. Understanding Wisconsin, Together. WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. But the exhibit also takes you into the woods. Visitors can travel to 26 sites and use an app that is part of the experience to learn about local history. The sites stretch from Manitowish Waters, to Lac De Flambeau to Trout Lake near Boulder Junction. “The history of the forest defines the northwoods,” Jim Bokern, the vice president of the Manitowish Waters Historical Society, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” Bokern worked with a team to create the experience. “There wasn’t a dedicated museum and we thought it would be great to tell the whole story… and give visitors destinations to go out and really enjoy it in the field,” he said. Sites on the tour include the state’s first tree nursery — started in 1910 to replenish Wisconsin forest; Trampers Trail in Star Lake, which connects trekkers to the wilderness following a century old railroad; and the Ojibwe Museum and Cultural Center in Lac De Flambeau. The central site, the refurbished barracks, has its own unique story. It was built as one of the first ranger stations in Wisconsin and then became the first Youth Conservation Corps camp in the United States. “The barracks is history through the ages,” Kay Krans, a board member at the Manitowish Waters Historical Society, said. For the next two years the barracks will feature an “en plein air” exhibit where local artists painted landscapes of the northwoods. And the team expects to add more historical sites to the tour over time. “I love the northwoods and how that’s part of the identity of the entire state of Wisconsin,” Bokern said. “We want to keep people informed because we want our forest to be resilient and supported so generations can enjoy it.”