By Erich Ebert, Urban Wood Lab Supervisor, Wisconsin@UrbanWoodNetwork.org or 608-622-7212
Urban wood (lumber and live edge slabs sourced from neighborhood trees) is more than a local, carbon-smart, sustainable source of building materials. It’s a way to capture the natural beauty of Wisconsin and bring it inside your home. In true Milwaukee tradition, there’s a festival to celebrate it. The Urban Wood Network and the Urban Wood Lab Store by Hoppe Tree Service will host an exciting day of all things urban wood on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wood Lab’s location in Caledonia.
This is an event for people who love trees. You don’t have to be a woodworker to appreciate the natural beauty of urban wood. We’ll be joined by a collection of local artisans selling finished products made of urban wood. Many of them are available to do custom projects, so a customer can come find a piece of wood they love and meet an artisan who can make something from it.
The Municipal Forestry Institute is an intensive high-level professional growth program of the 
Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2024 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Grant.
Deron Isom will be graduating this spring from Southern University and A&M College’s Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Department. He chose urban forestry and natural resources to contribute to the care of the environment. During his time at Southern, he had opportunities to intern with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and partner with the Recreation & Park Commission for East Baton Rouge Parish to produce multiple resource management plans and tree inventory projects. He is currently employed with the USDA at the Honeybee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Agricultural Research Lab. He is known for his master status as a professional pugilist as well as pursuing a professional boxing career. He is a member of The Society of American Foresters, The Louisiana Forestry Association, Southwest Parks and Recreation Training Institute, and Spartans Boxing Club. He has goals to increase global contributions to sustainable living and spread his knowledge of agriculture.