The Winter Triumph of the Evergreen

Posted on by patricialindquist

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

Sunlight fades, then sunlight grows. With those celestial rhythms surrounding the winter solstice, millennia of ritual have been shaped. Winter is historically an extremely dangerous time, in a way unfathomable to those of us with furnaces and stocked pantries. But at the winter solstice, something important happens: ever so gradually, the days start to lengthen, and there is hope that a bright, warm world will return.

That’s where evergreens enter the picture, plants that have been incorporated into solstice rituals since time immemorial because they show that life can continue through hardship. The foundational value of every Christmas tree, mistletoe sprig and holly branch is thus a symbol for life and the promise of rebirth comes with the winter solstice.

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Save The Date: February WAA / DNR Annual Conference

Posted on by patricialindquist

Join the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Wisconsin Arborist Association for the 2022 Wisconsin Annual Urban Forestry Conference. The conference will be held on Feb. 20 – 22 at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay with select sessions available for attendance virtually.

The DNR and the Wisconsin Arborist Association developed three days of enriching educational programming on the latest in research, innovations and industry developments and issues in the arboriculture and urban forestry industry.

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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!

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Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program Grant Proposals Now Accepted

Posted on by patricialindquist

Proposals for the 2022 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program are now being accepted through Jan. 25, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. eastern time.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Grant Program will award approximately $2.6 million in grants nationwide. An additional $1,000,000 in grants is available from a private funder to support urban green infrastructure that focuses on urban forests and tree planting, especially in underserved communities.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. 

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2022 SFI Community Grants

Posted on by patricialindquist

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is now accepting proposals for SFI Community Grants. Grants are awarded in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 dollars per project. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 1, 2022. The Lead Organization on the project must be one of the following: SFI Implementation Committee (SIC), non-profit, college/university or indigenous community/organization. Local governments would need to partner with a SFI Implementation Committee member in order to apply. 

SFI Community Grants will support projects that address one or more of the following priorities:

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Tree And Shrub Pruning Workshop

Posted on by patricialindquist

This pruning workshop for ages 18+ is designed to elevate tree and shrub care for professionals and beginners.

During the workshop, attendees will learn about the following topics:

  • Basics of plant biology and structure
  • Responses to the basic types of pruning cuts
  • Pruning standards and timing
  • How to successfully restore previously mal-pruned trees and common mistakes
  • Disease issues, proper tools and safety procedures to use 

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Watch Us Grow! 16 Big Trees Planted in New Urban Forest Demonstration Area at the Forest Exploration Center

Posted on by patricialindquist

In collaboration with Wudeward Urban Forest Products, the Forest Exploration Center officially broke ground to launch the first of many educational plans for the open spaces of the property.

The new Urban Forest interpretive area will include exhibits and guided demonstrations. Visitors will explore the beauty, form and structure of this diverse selection of trees fit for the urban environment and discover that urban forests, like their rural forest counterpart, are also dynamic ecosystems that provide critical benefits to people and wildlife.

Our fine partners at the Wisconsin DNR’s division of Urban Forestry selected the tree species and designed the planting space. Species were chosen as those best to thrive in urban environments and represent the wide range of possibilities available to visitors interested in learning more about identifying, planting, and caring for trees in their own neighborhood.

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Forest Growth, Removal And Mortality

Posted on by grace.hershberg

Forest growth, removal and mortality are indicators of forest productivity. Each forest type in Wisconsin differs in productivity based on many factors such as silvics, demand for products and overall management. Recent data from the U.S. Forest Service shows that aspen, being a short-lived species, currently has the highest mortality rate of the top ten species while eastern white pine is increasing in growth and volume.

White pine regeneration under a managed old-growth white pine at Uhrenholdt Demonstration Forest. Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Managing For Old-Growth Forests

Posted on by grace.hershberg

Old-growth forests are unique ecosystems that were historically abundant across the forested regions of Wisconsin but have now dwindled to about 1% of their original presence. Realizing the importance of old-growth forest structure and composition, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) partners initiated a study in 2004 to look at silviculture methods to maintain and enhance old-growth characteristics. The Managed Old Growth Silviculture Study (MOSS)  continues today on public lands in northern Wisconsin including the Flambeau River State Forest, the Northern Highlands – American Legion State Forest and the Argonne Experimental Forest (located within the Chequamegon – Nicolet National Forest). The main goal of this study is to develop forest management techniques that accelerate the development of structural and compositional complexity in second-growth northern hardwoods.

Wisconsin DNR forest research crew collecting old growth data. Credit: Wisconsin DNR

A forester explains the values of old growth in a Hemlock stand near Woodruff. Credit: Wisconsin DNR