Over the years, a growing body of research has proven that regular access to trees makes us happier and healthier. They restore our sense of calm from head to toe — improving memory and attention span, enhancing cognitive functioning, lowering blood pressure, and reducing cortisol levels.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, here are just a few ways trees can support your mental well-being. Continue reading “May Is Mental Health Awareness Month, But Trees Provide Benefits All Year Long”
Many residents and land managers in southeastern Wisconsin search for effective and efficient practices to control exotic invasive plants in our natural areas. The Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium is teaming up again with Johnson’s Nursery to offer Invasive Plant Management Workshops in 2024.
Take this class to ensure that you are using the most appropriate, efficient, up-to-date and least environmentally damaging methods in those efforts. Continue reading “Spring Invasive Plant Management Workshop”
Photo Credit: Delisa White
By Elton Rogers, Urban Forestry Coordinator
The DNR was recently contacted by a local news station to comment on a theory that tends to pop up alongside the tulips every spring: “botanical sexism,” a theory attributed to horticulturist Tom Ogren.
As a theory, botanical sexism is rather simple. It states that over time, humans have preferentially propagated and planted male trees, thus leading to increases in pollen production and subsequent allergens in our cities. The hypothesis is simple, and the term is catchy, so it is no surprise that it has made its way into the world of social media, having gone viral on several platforms over the last few years. The question remains, however, whether this concept is indeed factual. Continue reading “Botanical Sexism: Fact Or Fiction?”
See how communities around the state celebrated Arbor Day 2024!
Bill McNee (DNR Forest Health Specialist) presented the city of Menasha their 41st Tree City USA award, UW-Oshkosh Fox Valley campus with their 12th Tree Campus USA award and Menasha Utilities with their 12th Tree Line USA award.
By Carmen Hardin, DNR Applied Forestry Bureau Director;
Carmen.Hardin@wisconsin.gov
Existing seed cleaning equipment at Hayward State Nursery is scheduled for an update.
Landowners across the state have stepped up in a big way when it comes to planting trees.
At the end of 2023, more than 32 million trees had been planted and tallied as part of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge. The program started in 2021 when Governor Tony Evers committed the state to planting 75 million trees and conserving 125,000 acres of forestland by 2030. Continue reading “Wisconsin Expands Trillion Trees Pledge”
By Erika Segerson-Mueller, DNR invasive plant program specialist, Oshkosh
Erika.SegersonMueller@wisconsin.gov or 715-492-0391
Invasive jumping worms have a light-colored clitellum, while most worm species have a raised, pink clitellum. / Photo Credit: Brad Herrick, UW-Madison Arboretum
To reiterate some advice you may have heard long ago from your parents: Don’t give rides to hitchhikers. They may have been thinking about people, but hitchhiking invasive plants, insects and pathogens are also worthy of concern.
As you dream of days spent at the cabin up north, planting your garden or wandering in the woods, here are a few reminders to help you avoid bringing hitchhiking invasives along as you enjoy your spring and summer activities. Continue reading “Avoid Hitchhikers This Summer”
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR forest health communications and outreach specialist, Fitchburg
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
As Wisconsin braces for another potentially busy season of spongy moth caterpillars, three state agencies have teamed up to make it easier for tree owners and others to access the latest information and advice on the invasive, leaf-chomping pests.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has joined the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension to revamp the state’s interagency spongy moth information webpage.
Renamed the “Spongy Moth Resource Center,” a first glance at the document reveals basic information on the insect. But by following a new list of “Frequently Asked Questions,” visitors can tunnel deeper to more easily find information that applies specifically to their situation.
Continue reading “Spongy Moth Resource Center Hatches Just In Time”
By Paul Cigan, DNR forest health specialist, Hayward;
Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-634-9232
The emerald ash borer was detected in the Wisconsin counties of Taylor and Washburn in April, making them No. 70 and No. 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties that have confirmed presence of the invasive insect.
The emerald ash borer (EAB) has been detected for the first time in Washburn and Taylor counties, making them the No. 70 and No. 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties to have a confirmed detection of the invasive insect.
Here are the details of the most recent discoveries: Continue reading “Emerald Ash Borer Detected In Washburn, Taylor Counties”
By Krista Hamilton, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection;
Krista.Hamilton@wisconsin.gov
Hungry cicadas are expected to emerge from their 17-year dormancy this month to feed and mate. In past emergences, Brood XIII cicadas have been documented in 11 southern Wisconsin counties. / Photo Credit: Jim Occi, BugPics, Bugwood.org
In anticipation of the emergence of the Brood XIII periodical cicada this spring, the University of Wisconsin-Madison introduced a new Wisconsin Periodical Cicada website.
Information on the site covers the biology, ecology and distribution of these insects using photos, historical videos and other useful resources.
UW-Madison entomologist PJ Liesch sifted through 150 years of books, newspaper articles, university studies, government records and specimens in the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection to develop an updated map of Wisconsin periodical cicada reports.
Continue reading “UW-Madison Launches Website About Cicadas”
By Erika Segerson-Mueller, DNR invasive plant program specialist, Oshkosh;
Erika.SegersonMueller@wisconsin.gov or 715-492-0391
The white milky sap of spurge plants, sometimes called “wolf’s milk,” can be toxic to cattle and irritating to human skin. / Photo Credit: Norman E. Rees, USDA Agricultural Research Service Retired, Bugwood.org
Managing invasive plant species can really be a pain. When the plants you are targeting can potentially harm human health, that pain can become quite literal.
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and Cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) are restricted invasive plants under Wisconsin’s Invasive Species Rule NR40. Aside from their tendency to spread aggressively and displace native species, both plants contain a white milky sap that can cause skin irritation in some humans and is potentially toxic to cattle and horses. Continue reading “The Scourge Of Spurge, Both Cypress And Leafy”
