Understanding The Extent Of Invasive Species And Other Urban Forest Challenges

Posted on by patricialindquist

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

How extensive are buckthorn and other invasive species in our communities? We don’t know yet, but Wisconsin’s Urban Forest Inventory And Analysis (UFIA) project will be able to answer that and many other questions.

Buckthorn beneath dead ash trees at Big Foot Beach State Park. Photo by Bill McNee.

Besides simple stem counts, we can learn about the type of land where buckthorn is found, species under which buckthorn is growing and trends in invasive species expansion or decline over time.

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Upcoming Webinars: EAB University And TREE Fund

Posted on by patricialindquist

The EAB University Spring 2022 Webinars are right around the corner. All webinars are free, and many count towards continuing education programs.

Can’t watch them live? No problem! All webinars are recorded and posted afterward.

Check out the EAB University Spring 2022 webinars and register for them here. All sessions begin at 10 a.m. CST.

  • Feb. 24: The Biology and Management of the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly. Holly Shugart, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, Pennsylvania State University
  • March 1: Firewood Rules, Certifications, and Recommendations across the USA.
    Leigh Greenwood, Forest Health Program Director, North America Region, The Nature Conservancy 
  • March 3: The Worst Kind of Snowbird: The Invasion of Asian Longhorned Beetle in South Carolina. David Coyle, Assistant Professor and State Extension Specialist, Clemson University 

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Garden Planning – Avoid Invasive Plants

Posted on by brenna.denamur

By Jaqi Christopher, DNR Forest Invasive Plant Specialist, Rhinelander, Jacquelyn.Christopher@wisconsin.gov and Mary Bartkowiak, DNR Forest Invasive Plant Coordinator, Rhinelander, Mary.Bartkowiak@wisconsin.gov

With winter in full swing, many gardeners dream of spring and begin planning what plants to add to their gardens. Now is a great time to brush up on what not to plant to avoid invasive species that might be hiding in plain sight.

Woodlot in fall, most trees have lost their leaves which are covering the ground. Several burning bush shrubs still with their bright red leaves stick out against the brown backdrop.

Burning bush as a forest invasive.
Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

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Register Now for the Annual WAA/DNR Urban Forestry 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 in-person conference is limited to 462 attendees this year. This is approximately half of our usual attendance.

The early bird discount is available until Jan. 28. Prices will go up on Jan. 29.

To register for the in-person conference, go here.

The virtual conference will be available for viewing all of March. Register for the virtual conference here.

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Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Short Course

Posted on by patricialindquist

The virtual Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Short Course will once again be offered by the UW-Madison Division of Extension in Dane, Kenosha, Racine, Sheboygan and Waukesha counties. The course will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. every Wednesday in February; all are welcome to attend.

The cost of registration is $50 for all four weeks or $25 for a single session. The class will only be available during the live presentation on the specified date and time. It will NOT be available to view later.

The course offers up-to-date, science-based information to help landscape professionals increase the economic and environmental sustainability of the landscapes they care for and their businesses.

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New Wauwatosa Forestry Dashboard Educates Residents About Area’s Urban Forest

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Alex Krutsch, Supervisor of Forestry and Grounds, City of Wauwatosa

Over the past few years, the Wauwatosa Forestry Department has been working with the City’s geographic information system (GIS) manager to inventory City trees into a GIS database.

The results have been transformational for the forestry department allowing staff to update tree inventory and manage department work functions such as tree removal, pruning and planting from the field in real-time via any mobile device with an internet connection.

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Protecting Our Urban Forests to Protect Our Globe’s Biodiversity

Posted on by patricialindquist

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

The natural world lost one of its most ardent champions last month with the passing of biologist Edward O. Wilson. Wilson was an extremely accomplished observer (especially of ants) and theorist of nature, winning two Pulitzer Prizes among many other awards and accolades. However, he dedicated himself to cultural and political campaigns to protect animal species and their homes for much of the last two decades.

Wildlife benefits are lumped in amongst other “ecosystem services” that urban forests provide, though they often play second fiddle to more human-centric contributions of trees.

Likewise, the urban forestry community’s excellent focus on species diversity (especially in light of emerald ash borer) is framed by diversity’s role in mitigating future damages and costs, rather than what diversity can offer to wildlife or any intrinsic value of maintaining many species on the landscape.

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International Society of Arboriculture Trees Are Good Brochures Available For Download

Posted on by patricialindquist

Now available for download are the Trees Are Good brochures from the International Society of Arboriculture. Brochures contain educational information for tree owners on best management practices throughout the life of a tree, from tree selection and planting to mature tree care and risk assessment. They also serve as a helpful tool to generate greater awareness of the benefits that trees provide in our communities.

Brochure topics include:

  • Benefits of Trees
  • Tree Values
  • Tree Selection
  • Buying High Quality Trees
  • Recognizing Tree Risk
  • Avoiding Tree Damage during Construction

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Prune Oak Trees In Winter To Help Prevent Oak Wilt

Posted on by brenna.denamur

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist, Fitchburg, Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov; and Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Hayward, Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov

Person uses branch cutters to prune oak tree with brown leaves during the winter.

Prune oak trees during winter when oak wilt disease-carrying insects are inactive. Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR

It’s pruning season! If your trees need to be pruned, now it the time to do it. Come April, there’s high risk of harmful pests spreading tree diseases such as oak wilt.
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Forests And Fire: If You Love The Outdoors, This Is The Career For You!

Posted on by grace.hershberg

Have you ever thought about getting paid to help protect and manage our forests? Finding your path to becoming a forester with wildland firefighting responsibilities starts with loving the outdoors and, of course, TREES! If this field interests you, it’s never too early to start planning your career.

Besides knowing about trees and forestry practices, you need to learn about other parts of the forest ecosystem. We wouldn’t have trees without soil, so some foresters study soil science. And we wouldn’t have soil without rocks and wind and rain and ice, so some study geology and meteorology. And we wouldn’t have big bucks if it weren’t for properly managed forests, so knowing about birds, insects and all kinds of animals is also important for foresters.

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