Urban Forestry News

Welcome new Urban Forestry team member

By Jeff Roe, Urban Forestry Team Leader, Madison, Jeffrey.Roe@wisconsin.gov, 608-535-7582

I am very pleased to announce that Patricia Lindquist has accepted the Urban Forestry Communications and Outreach positions in our program. Patricia’s first day was on October 14, and she is based in Madison. She is very excited to be joining our team and working with all of you.

Nicknamed “woodsy girl” in college by her Austrian host family, Patricia has loved spending time in nature since childhood. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from UW-Madison, she spent six years working in urban forestry education and outreach at two local nonprofits, Community GroundWorks and Urban Tree Alliance. In her free time, Patricia can be found running, hiking, gardening, and traveling to the far corners of the globe with her trusty backpack.

She can be reached at patricia.lindquist@wisconsin.gov and 608-843-6248.

Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), FedEx, Southern Company and BNSF Railway are pleased to solicit ap​plications for the 2020 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. The Five Star and Urban Waters program will award approximately $1.5 million in grants nationwide.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. 

Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration; wildlife conservation, community tree canopy enhancement, water quality monitoring and green infrastructure best management practices for managing run-off. Projects should also increase access to the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage local communities, particularly underserved communities, in project planning, outreach and implementation.

Request for Proposals https://www.nfwf.org/fivestar/Pages/fivestar2020rfp.aspx

Deadline: Thursday, January 30th, 2020

Webinar: November 21st, 2019, 2 p.m., ET| Register Here

Municipal Forestry Institute

The Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) is a week-long, high-level training opportunity to educate people in the leadership and managerial aspects of urban forestry.  Urban forestry professionals from across the county will come together for a week-long intensive educational program that delivers a challenging opportunity to grow a more successful community tree program. Learn and master leadership and management tools of program administration, coalition building, strategic thinking, program planning and public relations.  MFI 2020 will be held February 23-28, 2020 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Applications are being accepted through December 1st.  For more information visit, https://www.urban-forestry.com/assets/documents/mfi/mfi_2020_2.pdf

Webinars

Fall and winter bring cold weather, rain and snow.  This means you’ll have more time in the office, providing the perfect opportunity to participate in urban forestry trainings while sitting at your desk with a warm cup of coffee. 

The five sites listed below each have an archive of webinars.  These are free and most offer ISA CEUs, including the previously recorded ones.  The best way to be notified of upcoming webinars is by subscribing to the host site’s distribution list.

·        Urban Forest Connections

·        Urban Forestry Today

·        EAB University

·        USU Forestry

·        i-Tree

 

Look for gypsy moth egg masses

By Bill McNee, DNR forest health specialist, Oshkosh, Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942

Fall is an excellent time to look for and dispose of gypsy moth egg masses that were laid in the summer. Since egg masses usually don’t hatch until April, information gained from fall/winter surveys can be used to avoid gypsy moth damage before the following spring and summer.

Spraying egg masses with oil kills the eggs inside, preventing hundreds of caterpillars from hatching next spring.

Spraying egg masses with oil kills the eggs inside, preventing hundreds of caterpillars from hatching next spring.

Continue reading “Look for gypsy moth egg masses”

Chainsaw safety training

Chainsaw safety training will be held this fall at Riveredge Nature Center near Newburg, WI.

Join Safety and Woods Worker (SAWW) trainer Luke Saunders (forester with Adaptive Restoration LLC) for a hands-on training in chainsaw use, maintenance and technique. Spend time both outside and in the classroom practicing how to operate chainsaws safely, comfortably and productively.

Chainsaw and tree felling demonstration

There will be two training levels offered on different dates. Level 1 chainsaw training will be held November 5 and level 2 will be held on November 11. Please note that you must have completed level 1 before enrolling in level 2.

Please see below for more details and to register:

Grants: urban wildlife damage abatement/control

Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Control (UWDAC) grants help urban areas develop wildlife plans, implement specific damage abatement and/or control measures for white-tailed deer and/or Canada geese.Images of deer and geese - two wildlife species that cause damage in urban environments

UWDAC grants are available to any town, city, village, county or tribal government located within an urban area. Applications must be received on or before December 1 and awards are announced in January of the grant year. For more information please visit, https://dnr.wi.gov/aid/uwdac.html

Grants: community forest & open space conservation

The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program grant period is open. This is a competitive grant program through the USDA Forest Service whereby local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations and Native American tribes are eligible for grants to establish community forests through fee simple acquisition of private forest land from a willing seller.  Continue reading “Grants: community forest & open space conservation”