On Jan. 28, Madison hip-hop artist F. Stokes tweeted “…Free show. Free wine. Showing my appreciation to the town who made me.” It’s all genuine. F.Stokes has a lot of love for Wisconsin and his hometown of Madison, and his latest video proves it.

The day before F. Stokes’ free show, Wisconsin Public Television got to feel some of the same love when he offered to help promote the Black Culture Connection.

Every year, Black History Month sparks a debate about the use of one month to celebrate the history and accomplishments of African Americans. The Black Culture Connection is a new initiative from PBS and public television stations across the country to celebrate black history and culture — like the music of F. Stokes — all year round.

Throughout the year, we’ll connect you to videos, articles and digital extras from across public television centered on the black experience. Get started now with F. Stokes’ 2010 performance on the 30-Minute Music Hour. And, of course, check out F. Stokes’ promo for the Black Culture Connection.

Folks who tune in Thursday night for Wisconsin Foodie shouldn’t be too disappointed to find a different show that’s all about Wisconsin occupying the 7:30 time slot.

True, we’ve closed the book on another successful Foodie season, but we’re thrilled to present new episodes of Outdoor Wisconsin in its place. (And, you can still watch Wisconsin Foodie online and on-air on the weekends).

Devoted to the outdoor enthusiast, Outdoor Wisconsin is a half hour weekly magazine series that travels Wisconsin covering a variety of outdoor activities and related projects.

If you tune in this week, you’ll cover a lot of ground in just 30 minutes. First, you can join Dan Small as he fishes for coho salmon on Lake Michigan out of the Racine Harbor. Then it’s up to Lake Tomahawk in Oneida County to participate in a game of snowshoe baseball. (Here’s a primer on the obscure sport). Then it’s off to the eastern part of the state to explore the caves at Ledge View Nature Center (technically indoors, I know, but trust me, it fits the show’s theme).

The subject matter might be a lot different than Wisconsin Foodie, but you’ll be just as hungry after enduring the marathon pace of Outdoor Wisconsin.

Watch Outdoor Wisconsin 7:30 p.m. Thursdays or anytime online.

Watch NOVA “Earth from Space” at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 on Wisconsin Public Television.

Is it still considered a bird’s-eye view if it’s from space? I mean if you want to get technical, it’s essentially the same perspective, it just happens to be zoomed out a little further than you would originally think.

That being said, perspective is everything. It’s amazing how the things around us really look when you can see them on a larger scale with all of their surroundings. A city may seem huge when you have to walk from one side to the other, but if you can back away enough, that city suddenly becomes a tiny concrete dot on a lush background of trees and fields.

I think the most interesting discoveries that have been made using satellite imaging are the natural global systems. Of course there are obvious uses like storm-tracking to see when and where a hurricane or blizzard might strike, but before satellites we could never put all of the pieces together. Being able to see a weather system is one thing, being able to watch how it influences systems on the other side of the planet opens up a whole new way of seeing how the world works.

Watch David Suchet in the Footsteps of St. Paul at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10 on Wisconsin Public Television.

It is said that you should retrace your steps in order to find something you’ve lost, but what might you find while retracing someone else’s steps? Better yet, imagine everything you could discover while retracing steps that were taken thousands of years ago – It’s not very often you can go back to the beginning and see how things started out.

The one thing that always gets me is the editing. Having seen hours and hours of footage and interviews whittled down to a mere one to two hour documentary, I always wonder what’s missing. I suppose there’s no way to get around the artist’s eye behind the final product. On the bright side, there’s nothing stopping us from doing a little digging of our own to fill in the missing pieces.

Wisconsin Public Television’s 19th annual Garden Expo is this weekend in Madison. This year, we’re opening the doors early, so there’s even more time to start planning for next seasons Gardens, Lawns and Landscapes.

Friday 3 – 9 p.m.  Get $2 off Friday admission
Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Tickets start at $7 in advance and can be purchased at select retail outlets or for $8 at the door. All proceeds support Wisconsin Public Television programs and outreach efforts.

Enjoy highlights from the 2012 Garden Expo below. Find full details at wigardenexpo.com.