Partners in Community Forestry Virtual Conference

Posted on by patricialindquist

Sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, the Partners in Community Forestry Conference is the largest international gathering of urban forestry practitioners, advocates, researchers, and government leaders. The virtual format this year provides an excellent opportunity to attend this leading conference so easily and inexpensively.

The conference will be held on Wednesday, November 18th. The $45 registration fee also covers events and meetings the entire week of November 17th-20th, including Alliance for Community Trees Day, Urban Woods Network Meeting, and Natural Areas Conservancy Meeting. CEUs will be available.

To learn more and to register, click here.

Fall Webinar Series: Urban Forestry Today and EAB University

Posted on by patricialindquist

Check out these two fall webinar series. Attend live to earn free CEUs!

Urban Forestry Today

Thursday noon hour (11 am Central Time) October 15, November 5, December 3, January 14

Click here to register.

Visit www.urbanforestrytoday.org for more details and to view archived webcasts.

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Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives website

Posted on by patricialindquist

The newly launched Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives website (https://healthytreeshealthylives.org/) is an excellent source of information on the health benefits of trees. The website was developed by the Southern Group of State Foresters Urban and Community Forestry Committee and funded through a Landscape Scale Restoration grant.

The Health Benefits section of the website divides 14 benefits into 4 categories: physical (skin, heart, lungs, pregnancies/newborns, comfort/heat reduction, nutrition, fitness), mental (peace of mind, vitality, brain), healing (fighting power, healing, health), and financial (healthcare savings). Each benefit is described in a sentence or two, and links to published research papers on each benefit are included.

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Forest products session for educators

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Forest Products Specialist Logan Wells  will visit with Wisconsin educators at noon on October 8, 2020 on the theme of “Celebrating Wisconsin’s Forest Products.”  The webinar, offered by LEAF (Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program), is open to anyone but advance registration is required (registration link).

In his presentation, Logan will explore products made from forests in Wisconsin and the importance of markets to sustainable forestry. He will also discuss global marketplace impacts and other changes impacting the industry, how Wisconsin producers are adapting to change, and share information about innovative products on the horizon.

Forest Products Week is the third week of October, so start planning now to showcase how vital forest products are to Wisconsin.

Forest Products Services Program Hosts Webinars

Posted on by Kirsten Held

In June 2020, the Wisconsin DNR Forest Products Services program hosted two webinars related to forest products utilization and the sustainability of Wisconsin wood products. Overall, these webinars were targeted to educate attendees on Wisconsin’s forest products industry and the benefits of using wood and were aimed at promoting new and emerging technologies and products. 

The first webinar – “Wood: Sustainably Grown, Locally Available” – was hosted on June 16. The primary objective of this webinar was to promote the diverse application of Wisconsin’s oldest grown, locally available, and environmentally friendly material – wood. Architects, designers, consumers, and other interested individuals participated in the webinar.

The second webinar was held on June 24 and was titled, “Biochar Production Technologies.” During the webinar, speakers provided information on biochar production systems and technological solutions that can help manage wood residue issues in storm-damaged areas, municipal wood yards, and at wood-manufacturing facilities, while also generating value-added biochar. The webinar expanded on previous outreach, which highlighted the basics of biochar and its potential applications in Wisconsin.

To view recordings of these webinars, visit https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestManagement/videos.asp and select “Forest products utilization and marketing” from the drop-down menu.

Opportunities for US softwood lumber in Pakistan

Posted on by Kirsten Held

In early September, the Wisconsin Wood Marketing Team and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Products Services program partnered with the Softwood Export Council and Northeastern Lumber Manufacturer’s Association to host a virtual trade seminar with US softwood manufacturers, US building material brokers, and Pakistani wood buyers. The seminar had 28 people in attendance, with the majority being lumber purchasers from Pakistan. Participants from Pakistan gained valuable information about the benefits of using US softwood products and current market trends for wood products in Pakistan.

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Tree mortality continues in flooded forests

Posted on by margueriterapp

Mike Hillstrom, forest health specialist, Fitchburg, Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov, 608-513-7690

Wisconsin has had historically wet weather the last five years, and the impacts to trees are escalating. Forest health staff have noted significant mortality of trees along lakes and rivers from rising water levels. Trees growing in low areas that have not flooded in many years are also being impacted.

Photo of flooded lakeside forest and dead trees around margin of lake.

Rising lake water levels causing conifer mortality.

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Summary of spring 2020 balsam fir mortality event

Posted on by margueriterapp

Linda Williams, forest health specialist, Woodruff, Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0665

The sudden balsam fir mortality event in Wisconsin in 2020 was similar to the spring 2018 mortality event, although the mortality this year was more scattered, and fewer trees were killed.

A balsam fir tree with a dead crown that has retained its needles.

Trees that died suddenly this spring retained their needles, which turned reddish-brown to brown.

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Seedling sales begin October 5

Posted on by Kirsten Held

Are you planning to plant trees next spring? The DNR-Division of Forestry’s reforestation program will be accepting orders from Wisconsin forest landowners for tree and shrub seedlings starting October 5, 2020. The high-quality seedlings are native species appropriate for planting throughout Wisconsin.

Seedlings grown by the state nurseries are used for reforestation and conservation plantings on private, industrial, state and county forest lands. They can provide future forest products and revenue, wildlife habitat and fodder, soil erosion control, living snow fences and other benefits. Continue reading “Seedling sales begin October 5” →

Cold hardiness zone maps: how many versions are there, and how are they different?

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Dan Buckler, DNR urban forest assessment specialist, Madison, daniel.buckler@wisconsin.gov, 608-445-4578

Jack Frost descends upon us all in Wisconsin, but the depths to which he brings the mercury differ depending on your latitude, elevation, and proximity to water or urban areas. These differences are observed in a location’s cold hardiness zone, which represents the average minimum temperature a location is expected to experience.

Cold hardiness zones are well-known decision-making factors for anybody with a smidge of green on their thumb. But did you know that there are multiple hardiness zone maps out there, and that where you stand right now might be in zone 6 on one map, but zone 5 on another? Enter the labyrinth, dear reader.

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