Mitch Lannan of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, shows a hemlock branch infected by hemlock woolly adelgid. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DATCP

By Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

Are you interested in learning how to help protect the health of Wisconsin’s hemlocks? A new interactive opportunity is being offered this fall by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to monitor for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA).

HWA (Adelges tsugae Annand) is a tiny, fluid-feeding insect that kills eastern hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis) within a few years of infestation. Although this non-native forest pest has not yet established in Wisconsin, populations are spreading in neighboring Michigan. DATCP has an exterior quarantine in place to keep this insect out of Wisconsin, but there are many high-risk pathways that make unintentional spread possible. This makes ongoing monitoring a necessary precaution.

Finding a non-native species early decreases response costs and increases the potential for successful eradication or containment. For these reasons, DATCP conducts annual early detection surveys to search for HWA. To further expand these surveys, DATCP is launching collaborative volunteer monitoring training. Participants will gain knowledge of how to conduct HWA surveys on their own property and/or in their communities, report suspect HWA sightings to the DATCP Pest Hotline and submit their results to a statewide database. Collective results will be shared with participants at the end of the survey season.

Anyone interested in participating in the program is welcome to attend the free, in-person training. Advance registration is required because space is limited, so securing a spot early is advised. Highlights from the training will be recorded and posted to YouTube at a later date for those who were unable to attend the training but would still like to participate in the event.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Survey Training
When: Oct. 27, 2026, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Pines Shelter at R.J. “Ollie” Smith Reforestation Camp, 4418 Reforestation Road (across from NEW Zoo), Green Bay, Wisconsin, 54313
Recommended Equipment: Hiking clothes, a smartphone and a water bottle
Sign-up: Advance registration is required