Month: January 2022

Register Now for the Annual WAA/DNR Urban Forestry Conference!

Posted on by patricialindquist

Join the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Wisconsin Arborist Association for the 2022 Wisconsin Annual Urban Forestry Conference. The conference will be held on Feb. 20 – 22 at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay with select sessions available for attendance virtually.

The in-person conference is limited to 462 attendees this year. This is approximately half of our usual attendance.

The early bird discount is available until Jan. 28. Prices will go up on Jan. 29.

To register for the in-person conference, go here.

The virtual conference will be available for viewing all of March. Register for the virtual conference here.

Continue reading “Register Now for the Annual WAA/DNR Urban Forestry Conference!” →

Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Short Course

Posted on by patricialindquist

The virtual Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Short Course will once again be offered by the UW-Madison Division of Extension in Dane, Kenosha, Racine, Sheboygan and Waukesha counties. The course will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. every Wednesday in February; all are welcome to attend.

The cost of registration is $50 for all four weeks or $25 for a single session. The class will only be available during the live presentation on the specified date and time. It will NOT be available to view later.

The course offers up-to-date, science-based information to help landscape professionals increase the economic and environmental sustainability of the landscapes they care for and their businesses.

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New Wauwatosa Forestry Dashboard Educates Residents About Area’s Urban Forest

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Alex Krutsch, Supervisor of Forestry and Grounds, City of Wauwatosa

Over the past few years, the Wauwatosa Forestry Department has been working with the City’s geographic information system (GIS) manager to inventory City trees into a GIS database.

The results have been transformational for the forestry department allowing staff to update tree inventory and manage department work functions such as tree removal, pruning and planting from the field in real-time via any mobile device with an internet connection.

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Protecting Our Urban Forests to Protect Our Globe’s Biodiversity

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist, Madison, daniel.buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

The natural world lost one of its most ardent champions last month with the passing of biologist Edward O. Wilson. Wilson was an extremely accomplished observer (especially of ants) and theorist of nature, winning two Pulitzer Prizes among many other awards and accolades. However, he dedicated himself to cultural and political campaigns to protect animal species and their homes for much of the last two decades.

Wildlife benefits are lumped in amongst other “ecosystem services” that urban forests provide, though they often play second fiddle to more human-centric contributions of trees.

Likewise, the urban forestry community’s excellent focus on species diversity (especially in light of emerald ash borer) is framed by diversity’s role in mitigating future damages and costs, rather than what diversity can offer to wildlife or any intrinsic value of maintaining many species on the landscape.

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International Society of Arboriculture Trees Are Good Brochures Available For Download

Posted on by patricialindquist

Now available for download are the Trees Are Good brochures from the International Society of Arboriculture. Brochures contain educational information for tree owners on best management practices throughout the life of a tree, from tree selection and planting to mature tree care and risk assessment. They also serve as a helpful tool to generate greater awareness of the benefits that trees provide in our communities.

Brochure topics include:

  • Benefits of Trees
  • Tree Values
  • Tree Selection
  • Buying High Quality Trees
  • Recognizing Tree Risk
  • Avoiding Tree Damage during Construction

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Prune Oak Trees In Winter To Help Prevent Oak Wilt

Posted on by brenna.denamur

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist, Fitchburg, Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov; and Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Hayward, Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov

Person uses branch cutters to prune oak tree with brown leaves during the winter.

Prune oak trees during winter when oak wilt disease-carrying insects are inactive. Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR

It’s pruning season! If your trees need to be pruned, now it the time to do it. Come April, there’s high risk of harmful pests spreading tree diseases such as oak wilt.
Continue reading “Prune Oak Trees In Winter To Help Prevent Oak Wilt” →