Some organizations are working to get children outside due to increasing worry over “nature deficit disorder.” Nature deficit disorder, a term popularized by Richard Louv term in his 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder,” describes a concern that children are more disconnected from nature than ever due […]
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the Urban Forestry Grant Program recipients for the 2023 grant year. The program helps fund projects consistent with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy. The Urban Forestry Grant Program had almost $700,000 in grant funds, with $419,860 in state funding and an additional […]
In 1854, J. Sterling Morton, a prominent newspaper editor and publisher, moved from Detroit to what is now Nebraska. He and other pioneers noticed a need for trees, which could act as windbreaks to stabilize the soil and give shade from the sun. Morton planted many trees around his own home and encouraged others to […]
By Collin Buntrock, DNR Forest Products Team Leader and Brian Anderson, DNR Forest Inventory Analyst Forests are an essential part of Wisconsin’s past and present. Wisconsin’s forests cover over 40% of the total land area, encompassing nearly 17 million acres. Since the cutover of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Wisconsin’s forests have been expanding […]
By Jane Raffaldi, New York Department of Environmental Conservation As leaves change this time of year, it’s obvious that urban trees make our communities more beautiful, but did you know they also make our neighborhood streets safer? Streets lined with trees tend to encourage slower driving and statistically have less accidents than those without. And […]
By Linda Williams, forest health specialist, Woodruff, Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0665 Emerald ash borer (EAB) was first identified in Wisconsin in 2008, although it was likely present in the state for a few years prior to detection. Since EAB doesn’t travel far on its own, some experts think it was unknowingly brought into the state on infested […]
By Brad Johnson, DNR regional urban forestry coordinator, Spooner, BradleyDJohnson@wisconsin.gov, 715-410-8299 Within a short period of time, from the Jamie Closs tragedy to the violent wind storm of July 2019, the people of Barron, Wisconsin have had to endure unprecedented hardship. They are looking forward to better days ahead. Hope for the future is just […]
By Sabina Dhungana, DNR forest products specialist, Madison, 608-220-4531 According to the ENERGY STAR program, the federal government has extended a tax credit to homeowners who purchase a biomass stove to heat their existing home or water. The Non-Business Energy Property Tax Credits have been retroactively extended through 12/31/2020. Biomass stoves burn wood and residues […]
Routinely, DNR North Central Urban Forestry Coordinator Don Kissinger puts a call out to his networking group regarding chainsaw safety training. This past winter he hit the jackpot and received a great response and a first ever request for an Advanced Training. Thus, two courses occurred this past April (Basic & Advanced).
Trees make a town a special place to live. Trees shade homes, businesses and streets. They clean air and water, increase property values, reduce energy costs and make neighborhoods greener, safer and healthier. By becoming recognized and fulfilling the standards of Tree City, Tree Line, or Tree Campus USA, communities, companies and campuses are putting […]
