By Rob Fontella, fontella@wisc.edu, healthTIDE UW-Madison Public Health
As the weather gets warmer, Wisconsinites are getting out there and enjoying their community and the natural areas the state has to offer. Recently a new effort was launched to encourage communities in Wisconsin to become part of a campaign recognizing the community’s efforts to promote active lifestyles. Continue reading “Getting active in Wisconsin’s urban forest”
American Transmission Co (ATC) has new program that provide funding for the purchase of seeds, plugs or plants that are low-growing perennials that can be planted within a transmission line right-of-way. This program in conjunctions with the ATC’s existing Community Planting Program will help create greener communities. Learn more about both programs through the press release from ATC.
Continue reading “New funding opportunity with American Transmission Company”
If you are looking for bird friendly trees and shrubs a database has been created that can help. The Audubon Native Plants Database allows you to enter a zip code and get a list of bird friendly native plants. You can filter based on plant type and what type of bird the plant attracts. The database also shows what kind of birds favor particular plants.
By Alex Elias, Urban Forestry Grants Manager
Updated guidance for the Urban Forestry Grants program has been posted for public input and will be available for a 21-day comment period. Guidance is available for both internal and external review from Tuesday, May 15, 2018 through Monday, June 4, 2018 on the proposed program guidance open for public comment website. Continue reading “Urban Forestry Grants application and guidance open for review”
By: Katy Thostenson, DNR social science analyst (Madison), kathryn.thostenson@wisconsin.gov, 608-535-7049
Homeowners in Wisconsin feel the top 5 most important benefits provided by the trees in their yard are:
1) Beauty
2) Shade and cooling
3) Improved air quality
4) Privacy, and
5) Making their neighborhood a better place to live
This list of homeowners’ perceived benefits from their trees is just one valuable insight gathered from the 2017 Wisconsin Urban Landowner Survey. More than 1,700 landowners responded to the survey from Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau, providing insights about their attitudes around tree care, their concerns about tree risks, and their tree care behaviors such as pruning and planting. Continue reading “Insights from the Wisconsin Urban Landowner Survey inform tree care outreach”
For many years the Urban and Community Forestry Program has maintained the Urban Forestry Consultants Directory, a document containing contact information and services provided by consultants who have made themselves known to DNR. Each May, we ask those listed to review their information and submit any necessary updates. We also welcome new submittals at this time, and throughout the year! Continue reading “Urban Forestry Consultant Directory – Annual update request”
Kids climb at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison
Like a child grows from birth to toddler to adulthood, a tree grows from seed to sapling to mature tree. As we nurture and care for our children as they grow, we must also for trees. This year there were several Arbor Day celebrations hosted across the state, all aiming to increase the publics knowledge of how to cherish and cultivate trees. Continue reading “Celebrate Arbor Day: Successes across the state”
The DNR Urban Forestry Grant program awarded $64,641.14 to four Wisconsin communities for urban forestry projects, during our 2018 second round funding. In order to ensure a pool of catastrophic storm funds throughout the year, we have switched to awarding grants in two rounds instead of awarding all of our funds in December. The communities who received grants in the spring include Beaver Dam, Grafton, North Central Wisconsin Master Gardeners Association, and Slinger. Continue reading “Urban Forestry awards second round of grants”
Jay Weiss created the Cambridge Tree Project to supply affordable and interesting trees and shrubs to homeowners to help fund landscaping in Cambridge and Rockdale schools, street and parks. The program was founded over ten years ago with a couple of simple goals: (1) add 1,000 living trees to Cambridge Village forest by 2020, and (2) increase species diversity of the community forest. Cambridge is working towards these goals by consistently offering a variety of tree species for purchase. The trees are available to anyone, regardless of where they live, but the trees must be purchased at the spring sale. Continue reading “Providing affordable trees to homeowners in Cambridge”
The Morton Arboretum is releasing information monthly on growing degree days. Plants, insects and fungi all develop at various times depending on temperature. Development will speed up or slow down depending on the rise and fall of temperature. Several studies have worked to understand the relationship between heat and development. These studies and information from them help anticipate flowering of trees and shrubs and the emergence of insects based on how many growing days have accumulated. Continue reading “Figure out when your trees will bloom”
