By Jeff Roe, Urban Forestry Team Leader
As I reflect on the last year, what stands out most for me is the great people that I work with – both staff and partners!
This has been a year of change, with new structures and leadership within the agency. Nonetheless, the staff dedication and leadership support for our program, and the work we do, remain strong. We have also had some staff changes this year: we added a new coordinator to the team, Brad Johnson, to serve the West Central area of the state; Bobbi and Dan joined the team to help with grants and the urban assessment program, respectively; and later in the year, Bobbi moved on to a full-time position within another DNR program. Continue reading “Another productive year for WI Urban Forestry!”
The first of three sessions was held for Wisconsin’s Community Tree Management Institute (CTMI). Twenty-six students from across the state met in Green Lake, WI October 17-18. These municipal tree managers (who lack technical and program management in arboriculture) learned the foundations of urban forestry. Through hands-on training and exercises, students learned about: canopy and measurement tools, tree benefits, awareness and support, politics and policy, leadership, partnerships, legal issues, ordinances, budgeting, tree boards and utilities. Instructors for session I included: municipal foresters, public works directors, a UW Extension agent, utility representatives, consultants and DNR staff. The variety of instructors, their perspectives and interactive components is meant to appeal to all learning styles. 
The Urban Forestry Council held their most recent quarterly meeting on October 13 at The Oxbow Hotel in Eau Claire. This was the second time the Wisconsin Council met with their colleagues in Minnesota, board members from the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee and MN DNR urban forestry staff. In addition, they were joined by Urban Forestry Council members from several additional states: Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan. The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council and Wisconsin DNR were pleased to welcome these urban forestry representatives from the region for the meeting.