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First-Ever Virtual WAA and WDNR Urban Forestry Conference A Success!

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Thank you to the more than 450 people who joined us for the first-ever virtual Wisconsin Arborist Association (WAA) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Annual Conference. The conference’s theme was “Sustaining Urban Forests to Ensure a Healthy Future,” held on February 21-23.

In collaboration with the WAA, DNR staff worked hard to transition the annual conference to a virtual format. The conference retained key elements it has become renowned for, including engaging presentations, a welcome by State Forester Heather Berklund, a well-attended exhibition “hall,” an enjoyable session of ArborMaster Trivia and the annual awards ceremony shared by the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council and the WAA awards program.

The DNR exhibition booth featured a new video by Grant Manager Chase O’Brien and Finance Specialist Nicolle Spafford and live Q&A sessions with O’Brien, Spafford, and Forest Health Specialist Bill McNee.

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Join Virtual Q&A Sessions With DNR Experts

Posted on by patricialindquist

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry program will have a virtual booth at the 2021 WAA/DNR Urban Forestry Annual Conference, Feb. 21-23, 2021. Our virtual booth will feature a new video on our grant program and live group Q&A sessions with our grant and forest health specialists.

A virtual booth could be described as a hybrid between a Zoom call and a website, with some additional features. If you’re attending the annual conference, you’ll have the opportunity to stop by our virtual booth, just as you would at an in-person meeting. Staff will be available to answer questions at set times, and there will be resources available to view and download.

A new video on our DNR Urban Forestry Grant program will be available to view in the booth throughout the conference. Created by DNR Finance Specialist Nicolle Spafford and DNR Grant Manager Chase O’Brien, the video will show you the program’s basics and inspire you to start projects of your own while seeing some successful programs across the state.

Join One Of These Live Q&A Sessions At Our Virtual Booth

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Campaigning For Trees Pays Off

Posted on by patricialindquist

In recent years, Cedarburg’s urban forest was declining. From 2017-2019, less than one-third of removed trees were replaced. “Development, storms, insects (especially emerald ash borer), and disease have reduced the City’s tree canopy by as much as 300 trees… trees which, at present, are not being replaced,” said Kevin Westphal, Cedarburg parks and forestry superintendent, in January 2020.

With the help of a 2020 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry grant, the non-profit Cedarburg Green stepped in to help reverse the decline. Over the past year, Cedarburg Green held a remarkable public awareness campaign that included a tree sale, tree plantings, lectures, an art and writing contest, tree tags promoting the benefits of street trees, a guided tree walk, a display at the local library, an appearance on a radio talk show and more. “The goal of this program is to have more tree-educated decision-makers, residents and future homeowners (our children),” said Jeanne Mueller, Cedarburg Green volunteer and grant-writer.

The fruits of their labor proliferated. This past November, a newspaper article headline listed forestry as one of Cedarburg’s 2021 budget priorities, which includes $30,000 for tree planting and $50,000 for stump grinding.

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Gays Mills, Wisconsin Recognized As Smallest Growth Award Community In The U.S.

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Congratulations, Gays Mills! The village with a population of 502 was recognized in a recent Tree City USA (TCUSA) bulletin for being our nation’s smallest current TCUSA Growth Award community.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, “the Tree City USA Growth Award program is an innovative way to encourage communities of all sizes to — as the name implies — grow their tree care programs beyond basic expectations.” Points are awarded to communities who take part in a variety of activities in five categories: A) building the team, B) measuring trees and forests, C) planning the work, D) performing the work and E) the community framework.

In 2019, 341 communities earned a Growth Award in the U.S., including 17 in Wisconsin: Gays Mills, Grand Chute, Greenfield, Janesville, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Oconomowoc, Racine, River Falls, Shawano, Sheboygan, Shorewood, Slinger, Watertown, Waukesha and West Allis.

For an example of this point system, Gays Mills documented the following projects in categories B and D in its application for a 2020 Growth Award:

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Leafing Out: A Webinar Series To Inspire Care For Trees

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Follow 1000 Friends of Wisconsin’s monthly webinars to learn fun and useful facts about the trees in your yard and community! Urban forestry experts will discuss what to plant, which birds and wildlife your trees are attracting, how to advocate for your community’s trees and more. There will be time for questions at the end of each webinar. Anyone is welcome to register and tune in to the webinars.

 

Webinar 2: Basic Tree Pruning With Lisa Johnson

12-1:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021

This webinar has been produced in collaboration with the Dane County Tree Board.

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Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course

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March 23-24, 2021

Cost: $150 (before Feb. 26) / $170 (on and after Feb. 26)

This conference will be held online using Zoom for presentations and Slack for networking. The registration fee includes access to all general and concurrent sessions, virtual exhibitors, virtual networking, conference materials and continuing education credits.

Topics include street tree longevity, soils, stormwater mitigation, tree diseases, chestnut and bur oak issues, nursery production and more.

To learn more and to register, click here.

Grants Available For Bird City Wisconsin Communities

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For the second year, Bird City Wisconsin is awarding small grants to current Bird City communities. Grants totaling $500 will be awarded in each of three categories: creating and protecting bird habitat, educating residents about interactions between birds and people, and protecting birds by reducing threats.

The application deadline is Tuesday, March 31, 2021.

For more information and to apply, click here. 

Trees Go Dormant In The Winter But Your Healthy Lifestyle Shouldn’t

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Gabriele Edwards, Urban Forestry Program Specialist, Iowa DNR

As the temperature drops and sunlight decreases, deciduous trees shed their leaves and focus on internal storage and conserving resources. Our behavior often mirrors that of a dormant tree. It is easy to shed our active, outdoor lifestyle in favor of lounging under blankets and remaining sedentary most of the day.

This typically results in added “resources” (aka those pesky extra winter pounds) due to lack of activity and extra stress associated with the holidays and year-end deadlines. Unlike those powered-down trees, we need to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle throughout the colder months to keep ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally powered-up. 

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Municipal Detections Of Emerald Ash Borer Continued In 2020

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By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh, bill.mcnee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942

Emerald ash borer (EAB) reports continued to grow across Wisconsin in 2020. The total number of communities with EAB was 808 as of December, an increase of over 50% since the start of 2020. In addition, the insect was confirmed for the first time in six additional counties (Dunn, Florence, Oconto, Pepin, Price and Shawano) during 2020. EAB has now been found in 58 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties and confirmed on Oneida Nation land. Additional unreported infestations are widely believed to be present.

Municipal (green) and Tribal (blue) EAB detections in Wisconsin as of Dec. 10, 2020. Map created by the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

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Register Now For The WAA/DNR Annual Urban Forestry Conference

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Wisconsin Arborist Association will virtually host the Wisconsin Annual Urban Forestry Conference on Feb. 21-23, 2021. Please join us for three days of exhibits, expert presentations and networking events and opportunities.

The program was developed to enrich arboriculture and urban forestry knowledge in the industry. The conference includes a utility track, a climbers’ corner, a virtual exhibit hall, and networking and socializing opportunities.

This year, presentations include:

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