Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD) Found In Fond Du Lac And Racine Counties

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By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh, bill.mcnee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942

Heterobasidion root disease (HRD), formerly known as annosum root rot, was recently found in Fond du Lac and Racine counties for the first time. Thinned pine stands were surveyed by DNR forestry staff in four eastern counties where the disease had not been previously found (Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Racine and Winnebago counties).

Counties where Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) has been found as of August 2021 are shown in green.

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Oak Wilt Symptoms Visible Now

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By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff, Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665. 

Symptoms of oak wilt are showing up. Look for leaves that suddenly wilt and drop from the tree. Oak wilt is a non-curable, fungal disease specific to oaks. Trees in the red oak family will die quickly from this disease, while trees in the white oak family will die more slowly, with a branch or portion of the crown becoming infected. 

This tree is actively wilting from oak wilt infection and will drop most of its leaves within about 4-6 weeks.

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Oak Timberworm, Not Your Average Weevil

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By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff, Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Oak timberworm, Arrhenodes minutus, is a primitive weevil that can cause defects and degrade in red and white oak timber. They can also infest elm, poplar and beech. Egg-laying females will seek out trees that are damaged, wounded, nearly dead or recently dead. After the eggs hatch, the larvae bore across the grain through the tree then “U-turn” back across the grain to the point of origin, taking two or three years to complete their life cycle and creating a lumber defect called a wormhole. When infested wood is split for firewood, the weevils may emerge in homes or garages if they had already pupated when the firewood was split. 

Male oak timberworm on a Northern red oak that was damaged in a storm.

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Lacebugs: Delicate But Damaging

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By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff, Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Lacebugs are tiny, delicate-looking insects that can cause leaves to turn a little off-color. They are typically found feeding on the undersides of leaves, where they insert their mouthparts and suck the sap from the leaves. From the top of the leaves, these areas where the feeding damage occurs are stippled with small white or yellow specks, often in a generally circular pattern. Recently congregations of adult and nymph lacebugs were noted on the twigs of basswood, but it was unclear if they were feeding on the twigs or just resting there. 

Lacebug adults and nymphs have congregated on this basswood twig.

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Woolly Aphids Observed And Reported On Social Media

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By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff, Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Have you noticed small, white fluffy things floating through the air? If you have a chance to look closely at these small bits of fluff, you’ll see that they’re actually insects; these are woolly aphids. They produce waxy filaments that help them avoid predators that don’t want to chew on their fluffy excretions.

Woolly alder aphid group is protected by the waxy filaments covering them.

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Wild Cucumber Will Catch Your Attention

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Plants that are pokey, viney or spread quickly across the landscape sometimes seem alarming when you discover them in your backyard or woods or when they’re spotted along the highway. Wild cucumber has all these characteristics but is not as ominous as it seems.

Wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) is a vine native across the U.S. and found throughout Wisconsin. It has maple-like star-shaped leaves and has pale greenish-white flowers from July through September. A single plant is self-fertile but can also be pollinated by bees, wasps and flies. It produces a pod-like fruit with spikes resembling a cucumber which is unsafe to eat. Each pod produces four seeds that fall to the ground when the pod is ripe. The pods may persist into the winter and become thin brown shells.

Star-shaped leaves, pale flowers, and cucumber fruit of wild cucumber. Photo: Bugwood

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2022 DNR Urban Forestry Grant Application Now Open

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Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin are encouraged to apply for a regular or startup 2022 Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Grant!

The grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. A startup grant of up to $5,000 is available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Grants are awarded to projects that align with state and national goals to increase the urban forest canopy and its benefits.

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2021 Urban Forestry Workshop: Trees, Construction And Site Development

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Registration is now open for UW-Madison, Division of Extension’s annual Urban Forestry Workshop, held Aug. 19 and Aug. 24-27.

This year’s workshop will be offered a little differently. The program usually includes a classroom lecture-style session in the morning and hands-on field activities in the afternoon. This year Extension will hold the morning portion of the workshop online to allow more attendees and offer an educational option for those who are not yet comfortable attending in-person events. The hands-on activities will build on the online session, but you are not required to attend the online session to attend the in-person portion of the class.  

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Recognizing Wisconsin’s Tree City, Tree Campus And Tree Line USA Participants

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We deeply appreciate the commitment to urban forestry demonstrated by our 2020 Tree City, Tree Campus and Tree Line USA participants. Thank you for your hard work!

2020 Tree City USA Communities – City (years): Adams (26), Albany (17), Algoma (20), Allouez (25), Altoona, City of (2), Amery (5), Amherst (24), Antigo (28), Appleton (37), Ashwaubenon (28), Athens, Village of (2), Baraboo (29), Barron (3), Bayfield (21), Bayside (13), Beaver Dam (30), Belgium (9), Bellevue (18), Beloit (33), Beliot, Town of (4), Brillion (21), Bristol (9), Brodhead (8), Brookfield (23), Brooklyn, Village of (8), Brown Deer (24), Cambridge (15), Cedarburg (31),

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The Door County Big Plant: 19,143 Trees In 30 Days!

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By Nicole Matson, Coordinator, Climate Change Coalition of Door County, Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership

The Climate Change Coalition of Door County is a volunteer organization that, for the past 9 years, has engaged in a variety of activities designed to increase understanding of global warming to inspire concern and action. This spring, the Coalition launched a new program called the Big Plant. It was successful beyond all expectations.

In the 30 days beginning on Earth Day, over 19,143 trees were planted in Door County by 36 different community organizations and individuals. Through the Coalition’s coordination, outreach and publicity, these organizations and individuals joined the initiative. They got their hands dirty by giving away and planting trees in their communities and on their properties. These numbers don’t include the many other individuals and organizations who may have been inspired to plant trees to be a part of the Big Plant.

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