Urban Forestry News

Arborist Apprenticeship Webinar Aimed at Wisconsin Municipalities

Posted on by patricialindquist

The Wisconsin Arborist Apprenticeship Program is a growing way for municipalities and tree care companies to train their workforce. Learn about the program and its flexibility to fit your organization.

This presentation will be hosted by City of Milwaukee Forestry Services Manager Randy Krouse along with a panel of apprenticeship instructors, public employees and Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Representatives.  

The webinar will be held on Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 3 pm.

Register in advance for the webinar using this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7ASg4RyeRv6jhmXK2aIcHA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Trees Support Mental Health During COVID-19

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Patricia Lindquist, DNR Urban Forestry Communications Specialist based in Madison, patricia.lindquist@wisconsin.gov or 608-843-6248 

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a serious toll on our mental health. Many of us are feeling lonely and isolated due to social distancing. Some of us have lost our jobs, some have lost access to schooling and some have lost beloved friends and family members.

Stress, anxiety and depression are on the rise. The numbers are truly staggering. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people reporting symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, from January to June 2019, 11% of adults reported these symptoms. In recent months, these figures have more than tripled. The weekly average for May 2020 was 34.5%; the weekly average for June was 36.5%; and the weekly average for July was 40.1%. In addition, a recent study reported that 13.3% of adults have begun or increased their use of substances to cope with the stress of COVID-19, and 10.7% of adults have thought of suicide in the last 30 days.

Continue reading “Trees Support Mental Health During COVID-19” →

Snapshot Wisconsin: People-Powered Research

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Christine Anhalt-Depies, DNR Snapshot Wisconsin Project Coordinator, christine.anhaltdepies@wisconsin.gov or 608-669-3808

Fisher, fox, bobcat and bear are just a few of the species captured among the 50 million trail camera photos produced by Snapshot Wisconsin. The Wisconsin DNR program is a wildlife monitoring effort that gets the public involved in science, and the data generated help the DNR make wildlife management decisions. Volunteers host a network of trail cameras across the state that take “snapshots” of animals as they pass by. The program began as a pilot in two counties and launched statewide in 2018.  Today the program boasts 1,800 volunteers hosting over 2,100 trail cameras. Information about what is in the photos, combined with where and when they were taken, is already being used to better understand important Wisconsin wildlife species, like white-tailed deer.

Continue reading “Snapshot Wisconsin: People-Powered Research” →

Deadlines Approaching for Tree City, Bird City, and Bee City Applications

Posted on by patricialindquist

Act fast to keep your Tree City, Bird City, and Bee City status! Due dates are as follows:

  • Tree City USA (TCUSA) applications are due Dec. 31
  • Bird City Wisconsin renewal applications are due Jan. 31 (new applications can be submitted anytime)
  • Bee City USA renewal applications are due Feb. 28 (new applications can be submitted anytime)

These three programs are each managed by a different nonprofit, but they have a lot in common. In fact, a single project could be used to help meet all three programs’ requirements!

Continue reading “Deadlines Approaching for Tree City, Bird City, and Bee City Applications” →

Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist based in Madison, daniel.buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

A sample map produced from the urban heat island mapping project in Boston MA

It’s too darn hot.

It’s a phrase that will be heard more and more as the Earth warms. But for those who live in cities, where the concentration of concrete and asphalt absorbs and radiates heat, it’s a familiar refrain.

Because of the dire effects of heat stress and other heat-related conditions, the importance of understanding temperature distributions in communities is extremely important. To help in that undertaking, a national public-private partnership has been working with community groups to map and analyze heat data.

Continue reading “Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign” →

2020-2021 Virtual Certified Arborist Study Group

Posted on by patricialindquist

This winter, the Wisconsin Arborist Association is offering a virtual study group for the Arborist Certification exam. Beginning Dec. 1 and running through Feb. 9, the course meets every Tuesday evening from 6:30-9 pm. The exam takes place on Feb. 16 (register separately with ISA).

The full workshop costs $225 for WAA members ($270 for non-members) and a single session costs $35 for members. Additional costs may be necessary for study materials.

The registration deadline for the full course is Dec. 14. at 4 p.m.

For more information and to register, please visit https://www.waa-isa.org/event/2020-2021-virtual-certified-arborist-study-group/2020-12-15/.

Free Tree Inventory Software Pilot Opportunity

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist based in Madison, daniel.buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Do you have a tree inventory but have had a hard time keeping it current? The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) maintains the Wisconsin Community Tree Map, a compilation of tree inventories from around the state. The map shows where trees are located in different communities and includes information about each tree, such as diameter, health condition and street address.

The DNR recently acquired a few extra accounts to distribute to communities on a pilot basis. We would like to distribute these accounts to communities that would make use of the tree map functionality and actively use the tool to add or remove trees in the inventory or to edit current data (e.g. change the diameter, mark the tree as pruned). If you already have a tree inventory tool that you use and like, then this option is probably not for you. But if you don’t have a tool, then you might be interested in this free account. It could be accessed with a smart phone, tablet or computer, provided there is an internet connection. The DNR can help provide training on the tool for interested communities.

Continue reading “Free Tree Inventory Software Pilot Opportunity” →

Survey Of Funding Sources For Municipal Forestry Programs

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Curt Witynski, Deputy Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Team surveyed municipalities in September and October of 2020 to learn more about how cities and villages pay for their forestry programs and activities.

Many municipalities are struggling to continue to provide the same number and quality of services as they have in the past while operating under the strictest levy limits in the nation and experiencing reductions in shared revenue and other state aids. We wanted to learn about any alternative sources of revenue municipalities might be using to help pay for the annual cost of providing forestry services.

Continue reading “Survey Of Funding Sources For Municipal Forestry Programs” →

Four Communities Kick-Start Urban Forestry Programs With DNR Assistance

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Don Kissinger, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator based in Wausau, Don.Kissinger@wisconsin.gov or 715-348-5746 

In 2018, I had been covering the Northwest part of the state for three years due to a vacancy and saw first-hand a lack of proactive community forestry management in some areas, but also a lot of potential.

To help kick-start new urban forestry programs in the region, I proposed that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) use some of our US Forest Service funding to contract an urban forestry consultant to work one-on-one with selected communities. The consultant would meet with community staff, collect tree inventory data and develop individual operations plans.

The selected communities would then agree to apply for our 50-50 matching Startup Grants to implement the developed plan. A similar strategy (minus the startup grant commitment) had worked well in southern Wisconsin in 2012: out of five selected communities (Adams, Elroy, Hillsboro, Mauston and Necedah), four have become Tree City USA communities, three have had staff complete the Community Tree Management Institute (CTMI) and one has hired a full-time forester responsible for their community’s street, park, and cemetery trees.

Continue reading “Four Communities Kick-Start Urban Forestry Programs With DNR Assistance” →

ROOTS Kicks Off Collaborative Tree Planting Projects

Posted on by patricialindquist

City of Sheboygan. Photo credit: Restoration of our Trees Sheboygan

In the past two months, Restoration of our Trees Sheboygan (ROOTS) celebrated the kickoff of five private-public sector emerald ash borer (EAB) mitigation projects in four communities throughout Sheboygan County, resulting in the safe removal of hundreds of dead ash trees and their accelerated replacement in public parks and on public thoroughfares.

These projects are underway in the City of Sheboygan, the City of Plymouth, the City of Sheboygan Falls, and the Village of Elkhart Lake. Each of these communities was awarded grant funding by the ROOTS Community Investment Fund. It initiated its first round of awards earlier this year through its executive agent, the Sheboygan County Rotary Foundation.

Continue reading “ROOTS Kicks Off Collaborative Tree Planting Projects” →