Urban Forestry News

What Do You Do With Your Old Christmas Trees?

Posted on by kirsten.biefeld

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist, Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov, 608-445-4578

Father and daughter bringing a tree home to decorate for Christmas. Source: WI DNR

At probably the same stage of life when I thought bread was just a medium to consume peanut butter, I thought the purpose of Christmas trees was to be a home for presents. However, like many people over the years, my appreciation for these incredible evergreen plants has grown. I love bringing green things into the home when the world can otherwise look bleak.

Unlike urban trees, which were planted and maintained for all sorts of benefits to humans and the wider environment, Christmas trees and other holiday plants are predominantly planted to be harvested at a young age. But like urban trees, their fate following their life’s work is unknown.

We wonder what you do with your Christmas trees or other holiday plants. We encourage you to fill out the short survey linked below. We are particularly interested in any novel ways you may utilize the plants. Next month, we will share results and, hopefully, a few stories.

SURVEY LINK Continue reading “What Do You Do With Your Old Christmas Trees?” →

Local Filmmakers Make Stars Out of Local Trees

Posted on by kirsten.biefeld

Micah Davis (left) and Steve Betchkal (right) hold their Midwest Emmy, awarded for their short film “Champion Trees”. Photo Credit: Story Time with Steve & Micah Facebook page

To see a heartwarming story about the power of trees, check out “BRANCHING OUT: Local Filmmakers Score Big by Making Stars Out of Local Trees” by Eric Rasmussen. Micah Davis and Steve Betchkal (Story time with Steve and Micah) spotlight the city of Eau Claire and explore its connection with its trees in a video called Champion Trees.   Continue reading “Local Filmmakers Make Stars Out of Local Trees” →

Make Your 2023 Spongy Moth Treatment Plans Early

Posted on by brenna.denamur

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

As long as weather conditions are favorable for the spongy moth* (formerly known as gypsy moth) population, the current outbreak is predicted to continue and spread to other parts of Wisconsin in 2023. Property owners are encouraged to examine susceptible host trees (including oak, birch, crabapple, aspen and willow) and plan ahead.

Spongy moth egg masses on a tree next to a penny for size comparison.

Spongy moth egg masses are tan-colored lumps that are larger than a penny, about the size of a nickel or quarter. Photo: Wisconsin DNR

Continue reading “Make Your 2023 Spongy Moth Treatment Plans Early” →

Free Seedlings For Wisconsin Fourth-Graders

Posted on by Kirsten Held
sugar maple seedlings

One-year-old sugar maple seedlings growing in Wisconsin nursery bed.

Every year since 1984, Wisconsin 4th-grade students have been eligible to receive a free tree seedling from DNR state nurseries to complement their Arbor Day observations. The application period for the “2022-23 Arbor Day Free Tree Seedlings for Wisconsin 4th Graders” is now open. School principals, 4th-grade teachers and 4th-grade homeschool parents are encouraged to visit the DNR’s tree planting webpage to order seedlings for Wisconsin 4th-grade students.

The seedlings will be shipped next spring in time for Arbor Day celebrations.  They come with a plastic bag for protection and instructions on how to plant and care for them. Planting a seedling and watching it grow can be a great learning tool for students. Find ideas for planning an Arbor Day celebration on this DNR webpage.

If you have any questions about the free seedling program for Wisconsin 4th-graders, please contact Carey Skerven at the Griffith State Nursery (Carey.Skerven@wisconsin.gov).

Urban Wildlife Management Grants Available

Posted on by kirsten.biefeld

Applications for the Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Control Grant are open. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1.

Municipalities in an eligible urban area can apply. The grant provides a 50% cost share with a maximum award of $5,000.

Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Control (UWDAC) Grants help urban areas develop wildlife plans and implement specific damage abatement and/or control measures for white-tailed deer and/or Canada geese. Continue reading “Urban Wildlife Management Grants Available” →

 ISA 2022 International Conference Registration Open

Posted on by kirsten.biefeld

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is hosting its 3rd Annual International Virtual Conference on Dec. 13-14. Join ISA for this engaging and compelling virtual event and take advantage of the opportunity to network with colleagues, businesses and arboricultural professionals worldwide.

This year’s virtual event provides a lineup of on-demand educational breakout sessions led by industry leaders from around the globe, sharing their thoughts and views about research, practice and technology. Continue reading ” ISA 2022 International Conference Registration Open” →

Ambrosia Beetles Attack Sugar Maple Regeneration

Posted on by brenna.denamur

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist, Fitchburg, kyoko.scanlon@wisconsin.gov

This summer, the Forest Health Lab received sugar maple seedlings with brownish yellow leaves, which were sent by a Waukesha County landowner who observed many understory sugar maple seedlings and saplings quickly turning brown throughout the summer. This mortality continued until the end of September. The landowner wanted to know why these plants were dead and dying.

Seeding with yellow leaves surrounded by green seedlings.

Affected seedlings exhibit yellow and brown leaves. Photo: Wisconsin DNR

Continue reading “Ambrosia Beetles Attack Sugar Maple Regeneration” →

DNR Urban Forestry Employees Receive NASF Award

Posted on by kirsten.biefeld

The Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry’s own Laura Buntrock, Urban Forestry Program Specialist, and Olivia Witthun, Urban Forestry Coordinator, were awarded the National Association of State Foresters’ (NASF) Steve Sinclair Current Achievement Award for Urban and Community Forestry for their work in the recently published study on the economic benefits of urban and community forestry (UCF). The award ceremony took place at NASF’s 2022 annual meeting, and their awards represent extraordinary contributions to state and private forestry.

Olivia Witthun (left) accepts the Sinclair Current Achievement Award at the NASF 2022 annual meeting.

The economic study, covering the entirety of the Northeast-Midwest region (20 states and the District of Columbia), is the first comprehensive analysis of economic UCF benefits at a regional scale. Its findings justify the enhancement of current UCF programs and the creation of new initiatives to support urban forest management. They have already helped launch similar research in the South and the state of California.

Continue reading “DNR Urban Forestry Employees Receive NASF Award” →

Updated Eco-Benefits In The Wisconsin Community Tree Map

Posted on by kirsten.biefeld

By: Dan Buckler, Urban Forest Assessment Specialist

The scientific community continues to grow its understanding and appreciation of the ecosystem services that urban trees offer. That is, we now know more about the good trees do, but we also better understand what we don’t know. This nuanced perspective has manifested itself in updated estimates of ecosystem benefits within the Wisconsin Community Tree Map (WCTM).

The WCTM is a compilation of tree inventories from around the state, comprising 910,000 trees across 180 organizations. One of the application’s many interesting and useful functions is the estimation of trees’ eco-benefits. This information can be found for an individual tree simply by clicking it and then the “Eco-Benefits” box. The eco-benefits can also be estimated for a collection of trees by navigating to the “Hub” tab, then clicking “Stats” and “Ecosystem Benefits.”

Estimated benefits showcased in the tree map include annual stormwater reduction, air pollutant reduction and carbon sequestration, as well as lifetime carbon storage. All these benefits are expressed by quantity, volume or weight and by the monetary impact of the trees.

Example of the TreePlotter Inventory Map

Continue reading “Updated Eco-Benefits In The Wisconsin Community Tree Map” →