Schools that connect students to nature and trees can register as a Tree Campus K-12 site. This Arbor Day Foundation program recognizes schools that inspire the next generation through experiences with nature inside and outside of the classroom. Schools need to meet four program goals to qualify. Continue reading “Tree Campus K-12”
Upcoming Trainings
*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
See below for information on trainings about wood products, urban forest wildfire response, emerald ash borer (EAB), invasive plants and the educational resource of the month. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings”
2025 DNR Spongy Moth Spray Plans Announced
An airplane sprays pesticide over trees at Devils Lake State Park in Sauk County to help in the control of spongy moth caterpillars. / Photo Credit: Sue Johansen, Wisconsin DNR
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has finalized aerial spraying plans for its 2025 Spongy Moth Suppression Program, with maps for the five selected treatment areas available online.
The treatment sites are at three state parks in Juneau, Marinette and Sauk counties that are highly valued for their recreational use. A total of 544 acres of trees will be treated with an aerial spray of “Foray” bacterial insecticide containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.
Continue reading “2025 DNR Spongy Moth Spray Plans Announced”
La Crosse County Added To Spongy Moth Quarantine
A spongy moth caterpillar consumes a leaf. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR
By Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
La Crosse County has become the latest Wisconsin location to be added to the state and federal spongy moth quarantine, joining most eastern and central Wisconsin counties already considered to be infested by the invasive insect.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced the change on April 1, based on trapping data collected last year.
Continue reading “La Crosse County Added To Spongy Moth Quarantine”
April Offers Opportunities For Tree Lovers
A beautiful view of Wisconsin forestland awaits visitors to Roche a Cri State Park in Adams County. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel.”
Those were the words of Wisconsin’s most prominent conservation expert, Aldo Leopold, who authored the famous book, “A Sand County Almanac” among his many achievements.
This month, everyone in Wisconsin will have the chance to follow Leopold’s advice – even if in a small way, because many small efforts can add up to a prominent positive impact on Wisconsin’s trees and forests.
Continue reading “April Offers Opportunities For Tree Lovers”
Fight The Bite! Watch For Ticks
By Michael Hillstrom, DNR Forest Health Specialist
Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov
Ticks are active now, so it’s time to start taking precautions to prevent tick bites and transmission of the diseases they carry. Whenever temperatures at ground level get above 40-42 degrees Fahrenheit, ticks will start to be active.
Avoid Seedy Hitchhikers This Summer
Avoid creating infestations of invasive plants — such as this huge patch of garlic mustard — on your wooded properties; don’t transport or plant aggressive spreaders as you head up north this summer. / Photo Credit: Steven Katovich, Bugwood.org
By Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Hitchhiking invasive plants, insects and pathogens are 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.
Watch For Oak Decline And Mortality This Summer
Oak decline and mortality at Big Foot Beach State Park in 2024. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Michael Hillstrom, DNR Forest Health Specialist
Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov
Oak decline and mortality continue to be an issue in Wisconsin, and because of the recent droughts and spongy moth outbreak, we expect these impacts to become more widespread this summer.
Forest decline is the progressive loss of tree and stand vigor and health over several years without obvious evidence of a single causal factor. Typically, trees die in a scattered fashion across a large area over several years. The additional stress from defoliation can result in pockets of heavy oak mortality, particularly on dry, sandy sites and steep, rocky ridges and hills.
Continue reading “Watch For Oak Decline And Mortality This Summer”
DNR Firefighters Partner with Local Fire Departments in Wildland Fire Training
Spring wildfire season is well underway in our snow-free areas of the state and DNR firefighters are squeezing in last minute training before things really heat up! Last weekend, DNR fire staff in northwest Wisconsin gathered with local fire departments at the new Minong Ranger Station for a structure branch training, which focuses on protecting structures in the event of large forest fires that threaten homes and communities.
Structure branch trainings happen every year throughout Wisconsin, dating back to the 1980s when they were initiated after experiencing large, highly damaging fires like the Five Mile Tower Fire that burned over 13,000 acres in 1977 and the Oak Lake Fire that burned 11,418 acres in 1980. The DNR’s fire staff works closely with local fire departments on wildland fires, so holding these trainings every year is crucial to strengthening those bonds.
Thank you to the Wascott Fire Department, Siren Fire Department, Webster Fire Department, Dairyland Volunteer Fire Department, Jackson Fire Department, Webb Lake Fire Department, Lake Nebagamon Fire Department, Grantsburg Fire Department, Town of Hayward Fire Department, Minong Fire Department, Gordon Volunteer Fire Department and Spooner Fire Department for joining us this year!
MFL Certified Group Pesticides Update
Two forestry pesticides now have an Environmental and Social Risk Assessment (ESRA) available on the MFL Certified Group Pesticide Page courtesy of our colleagues at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Tebufenozide is an insecticide that can be used to control spongy moth. Aminocyclopyrachlor is an herbicide used to control broadleaf plants.