Under Rocks
Arts & Culture Podcasts
What’s so great about the Midwest? WNIJ’s Under Rocks podcast isn’t afraid to dive into that question head-first every month. In fact, our team won’t leave a stone unturned when it comes to hunting down the most interesting people, places, and events in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.What are you excited about? We’re always looking for a shove in the right direction, so send us on our next adventure by messaging us at Rocks@niu.edu.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Description:
What’s so great about the Midwest? WNIJ’s Under Rocks podcast isn’t afraid to dive into that question head-first every month. In fact, our team won’t leave a stone unturned when it comes to hunting down the most interesting people, places, and events in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.What are you excited about? We’re always looking for a shove in the right direction, so send us on our next adventure by messaging us at Rocks@niu.edu.
Twitter:
@WNIJNews
Language:
English
Email:
rocks@niu.edu
Episodes
Perspective: The lessons in a 75-year-old tragedy
8/16/2024
In 1939, a group of refugees tried to dock in the U.S. Frankie DiCiaccio asks people to turn their eyes toward a new human disaster in the mking,
Duration:00:01:45
Reach! It! Out!: Chasing the dragon boat | Under Rocks podcast
8/15/2024
What do you get when you combine dragons, boats, a touch of “oh my!” and 22 dedicated athletes? The coolest sport you’ve never heard of! Dragon boating has roots in ancient China and branches all over the world…including a lake near you. The Under Rocks crew dons life vests and heads to Shabbona Lake for their latest adventure.
Duration:00:31:10
From parks to Peaches to pickleball: The siren call of the Rockford Adventure Trail | Under Rocks podcast
7/25/2024
Fun-starved explorers find gold (and prizes!) along the Rockford Adventure Trail. Join us for what could be the most ambitious Under Rocks ever!
Duration:00:44:46
Lustron: It's a good starter home, it's a good finishing home | Under Rocks podcast
6/20/2024
Lustron Houses. They're in your neighborhood. You just have to look for these mid-century metal marvels. You Under Rocks team heads to Mt. Morris to check out a cluster of Lustrons.
Duration:00:29:07
Strike while the iron's hot: Forging ahead at the blacksmith's shop | Under Rocks podcast
5/16/2024
We go at it hammer and tongs during a visit to the Phineas Vaughan Blacksmith Shop at the Glidden Homestead in DeKalb. Will Dan be able to upset the steel in time to open his beer before it gets warm? Or does he have too many irons in the fire?
Duration:00:30:57
Love birds? Put a ring on it | Under Rocks podcast
4/18/2024
In a rural corner of northern Winnebago County, right up near the Wisconsin border, you can find one of the country’s most important bird research centers – and one of the most dedicated teams of volunteers you’ll ever meet. So as spring migration started ramping up, we sent our own dedicated team to investigate the Sand Bluff Bird Observatory and banding station.
Duration:00:40:48
Alebrijes! Out of your dreams and into your library | Under Rocks podcast
3/21/2024
Step into Founders Memorial Library on the campus of Northern Illinois University and you’ll find yourself in a colorful dream world. Between the bookshelves are 22 towering sculptures by five artists from Mexico City. “Alebrijes – Creatures of a Dream World” is free and open to the public through November 8, 2024, and artist visits and other special events will be planned throughout its stay.
Duration:00:21:28
The House at Stone Corners | Under Rocks podcast
2/15/2024
Sure, you have a rock collection. Who doesn't? Meet Jon Barnhart, whose rock collection was started by a Civil War veteran, and every stone has a story. Not to mention his collection of bikes, outhouses, out-buildings, signs, sleighs, vintage cars... Well, you're just going to have to listen.
Duration:00:23:40
Wrestling revisited: The return of 'The Librarian' | Under Rocks podcast
1/18/2024
It has been five years since The Librarian, a.k.a. Dan Libman, stepped into a wrestling ring in Oregon, IL. No, there won't be a rematch. But he will catch us up on what his fellow wrestlers are doing today.
Duration:00:26:00
Real or Fake? A holiday odyssey | Under Rocks podcast
12/21/2023
Under Rocks wraps up another year of adventures by bundling up and heading into the woods to find the perfect pine. Actually, it’s more of a farm than woods, as these rookies learn what’s so great about a real Christmas tree. Sinnissippi Farm and Forest co-owner Doug Conroy schools them on the real vs. fake debate. The Clauses even weigh in -- and it’s M-A-G-I-C.
Duration:00:20:49
More cheer in the new year! | An Under Rocks podcast preview and DIY recorder
12/14/2023
Hi, this is your Under Rocks podcast team. We're excited about our final episode of 2023 and even more pumped about what's in store for 2024. So please leave a message at wnij.org or rocks@niu.edu. And starting now, you can find a fresh episode every third Thursday of the month!
Duration:00:03:31
Under Rocks gets hives | Under Rocks podcast
8/18/2023
It’s a dance as old as humanity itself: Bees make honey, humans steal it. And for the most part, we get away with it with nothing more than an occasional sting. But over time, we’ve learned we must do more for the honeybee, which is propping up our fragile ecosystem. The Under Rocks team managed to get itself invited to peer into the process of stewarding bees and harvesting honey with Tim Benedict of Orion Organics. It’s his farm in Lee County where bees roam with the bison among the wildflowers of Nachusa Grasslands.
Duration:00:40:58
Murals: Just put the right color in the right place | Under Rocks podcast
6/30/2023
Take a stroll through your nearest downtown and chances are you're going to see some big bold public art on at least a few buildings. Cities and towns are embracing murals as a way to support artists and show some civic pride. We sent WNIJ's Under Rocks team to downtown Rockford to learn more, starting in the studio of muralist Brett Whitacre. (We'd love to see your favorite mural! Send a photo and location to rocks@niu.edu)
Duration:00:21:38
Less morels but more lessons | Under Rocks podcast
5/19/2023
Hike along with the Under Rocks crew as they slog through woods and fields in search of the jewel of springtime, the morel mushroom. To put it another way, watch them get skunked with Chris Fink. But there are triumphs along the way, lessons to be learned, and even a few consolation prizes.
Duration:00:15:25
In cod we trust (and perch and walleye): In search of the perfect fish fry | Under Rocks Podcast
3/30/2023
For six Fridays every year, temporary restaurants pop up in churches, clubs, and community buildings across the Midwest. Menus may vary, but they stick with one theme. Fish. Fried fish.
Duration:00:26:43
The newest oldest beverage: Give in to the mead | Under Rocks Podcast
2/3/2023
What do you think of when you hear the word "mead?" Vikings, Renaissance Faires, a cloying sweet nectar? The Under Rocks team discovers the joy of modern mead during a visit to downtown Elburn.
Duration:00:30:59
What's in a cookbook? Culinary sleuths preserve our culture, our history | Under Rocks podcast
12/19/2022
The Culinary Historians of Northern Illinois are preserving our stories, recipes, and community cookbooks -– and putting it all into a bigger societal context. Join WNIJ’s Under Rocks team as we take a deep dive into grandma’s recipe box and serve up a big slice of chocolate kraut cake. Your ideas are welcome at rocks@niu.edu!
Duration:00:36:22
Flags over Sycamore: the spicy history of Pumpkin Fest and its great grinning logo | Under Rocks podcast
10/28/2022
Flags fly over Sycamore, Illinois as it celebrates the world’s favorite orange gourd: The Pumpkin Festival gets underway the last full weekend before Halloween. It’s those orange flags with the grinning jack-o'-lantern that drove a listener to contact WNIJ’s Under Rocks team to get answers to some burning questions. And make sure you listen ‘til the very end of the show for a special appearance by our favorite Illinois Enthusiast!
Duration:00:32:46
A boot camp for your mind | Under Rocks podcast
10/14/2022
You don't need a passport to get to a world-renowned meditation center. In fact, the Illinois Vipassana Meditation Center is just a short hop from Rockford. The Under Rocks team takes you there — but can they go ten days without speaking?
Duration:00:24:57
A LARP in the park with Belegarth | Under Rocks podcast
8/19/2022
How would you handle yourself in a medieval melee? Do you know what realm you live in? In the latest Under Rocks podcast, our team joins up with Team Belegarth in a Kane County park. When the herald cries "weapons up," these foam fighters really "lay on!"
Duration:00:19:28