Best Management Practices

Right Tree, Right Place

By Olivia Witthun, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator
Olivia.Witthun@wisconsin.gov or 414-750-8744

Earth Day, Arbor Day and spring are all quickly approaching, and now is the time to start thinking about your tree plantings! Choosing the proper tree for a specific location will help ensure your tree’s long-term health and survival.

Think: “Right tree, right place.” It’s an old phrase, but the message is powerful and remains true today.

When selecting the right tree for your spot, many factors must be considered. Check out Choosing the Right Landscape Plants: Factors to Consider for a list of important considerations, such as landscape function, size and form, ornamental factors and pest issues. It even includes information on how to select high-quality trees in the nursery. Continue reading “Right Tree, Right Place”

Cambridge Tree Trials

By Jay Weiss, Cambridge Tree Project Executive Director

When the Cambridge Tree Project launched nearly 20 years ago, urban tree growth and survival data were nearly impossible to find. In response, I began tracking the trees my nonprofit donated to the Village of Cambridge to assess their performance.

To date, I have records for 1,375 trees planted throughout Cambridge and have taken nearly 9,000 annual tree growth measurements. This dataset, known as the Cambridge Tree Trials, is openly shared for educational purposes in the form of annual updates emailed to over 450 forestry professionals across America. To be added to the distribution list, email jay@cambridgetreeproject.org. Continue reading “Cambridge Tree Trials”

WAA/DNR Conference, Another Huge Success!

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

Wisconsin Arborist Association LogoThe Wisconsin Arborist Association (WAA) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s Urban Forestry program cohosted their annual conference on Feb. 16-18 in Green Bay. One of the preeminent events in arboriculture and urban forestry, the gathering brought together hundreds of people from the private, public, nonprofit and academic sectors to network and share knowledge about urban forest management.

This year was a record-breaker: 946 attendees, the highest mark ever. Data was also compiled regarding organizational affiliations of attendees this year. Continue reading “WAA/DNR Conference, Another Huge Success!”

Call For Presentations

The Arbor Day Foundation is asking for presentation proposals for its annual conference on Nov. 18-19 in Henderson, Nevada. You can play a key role in making the Partners in Community Forestry Conference and Alliance for Community Trees Day even more impactful by sharing your expertise, innovative programs, and the incredible work you’re doing in urban and community forestry with fellow professionals from across the nation. Continue reading “Call For Presentations”

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 seed production, forest management for wildlife, pest trends, research projects, apple tree grafting, chainsaw maintenance and the educational resource of the month. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings”

It’s A Good Time To Work On Oak Trees

A person prunes a tree during the winter months.

Winter is an ideal time to perform pruning and trimming work on oak leaves. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Winter is an ideal time to perform trimming, cutting and brush removal work on and near oak trees.

For one thing, it’s a low-risk period for the trees to be infected with oak wilt, a fungal disease spread by beetles. When a red oak is infected with oak wilt, it will die that year; the disease also stresses trees in the white oak group, often fatal with bur oaks and swamp white oaks.

Continue reading “It’s A Good Time To Work On Oak Trees”

Cooperative Enlists Public To Make Tree Health A Snap

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg;
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Screenshot of the main page of the TreeSnap app as seen on a mobile phone.

The main page of the TreeSnap app as seen on a mobile phone. / Photo Credit: TreeSnap.org

It takes more than a village to foster healthy forests. More than a township, a city and a county, too. Sometimes, even more than a state.

That’s why the Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Cooperative (GLB FHC) was formed four years ago by Holden Arboretum in Ohio and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Geographically, the group’s region encompasses an area from New Jersey to Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is an active member.

Continue reading “Cooperative Enlists Public To Make Tree Health A Snap”

Forest Health and Climate Change Resources

By Carmen Hardin, Director, DNR Applied Forestry Bureau, Rhinelander;
Carmen.Hardin@wisconsin.gov

A graphic shows changing tornado risk trends in the United States from 1980 to 2020. All Wisconsin counties are showing an increase in tornado days.

A graphic shows changing tornado risk trends in the United States from 1980 to 2020. All Wisconsin counties are showing an increase in tornado days. / Map Credit: Inside Climate News, Stephen M. Strader et. al., Nature Magazine

We are often asked difficult questions about our forests, their health and how climate change is impacting them. Here is a curated collection of resources that may help you answer some of those questions. Continue reading “Forest Health and Climate Change Resources”

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Urban Forest Improvement Grant Application Now Open

The Urban Forest Improvement Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, provides grants to help organizations benchmark their urban or community forests against the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard.

These grants support the assessment of current management practices, offering valuable insights into how sustainably these forests are managed and a roadmap of opportunities for improvement. Continue reading “Sustainable Forestry Initiative Urban Forest Improvement Grant Application Now Open”