Care for your woods

Land And Water Conservation Fund Program Grant Application Due May 1, 2026

Posted on by janness

DNR LogoThe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications for the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant Program through May 1, 2026. The DNR will consider all complete applications received by this date.

Eligible applicants include towns, villages, cities, counties, tribal governing bodies and school districts.

Application materials are located on the DNR’s website. Please contact your regional Project Manager prior to submitting an application.   Continue reading “Land And Water Conservation Fund Program Grant Application Due May 1, 2026” →

Submit Proposals For Partners In Community Forestry Conference

Posted on by janness

Arbor Day Foundation LogoThe Partners in Community Forestry Conference is currently seeking speaking proposals for the upcoming conference Nov. 18-19 in St. Louis.  Any passionate speakers, community leaders and learners are encouraged to send a proposal submission. These speeches are an opportunity to share your expertise and passion about community forestry with others. The topics for this year’s speaker proposals include: Continue reading “Submit Proposals For Partners In Community Forestry Conference” →

Upcoming Training

Posted on by janness

Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

* 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 training on urban forestry basics, tree risk fundamentals in Spanish, plant diseases and pests, invasive species, student apprenticeships, nut trees and other urban forestry resources. Continue reading “Upcoming Training” →

Look For Spongy Moth Egg Masses And Take Action

Posted on by akabelowsky
Closeup of a person scraping spongy moth egg masses into a cup.

A putty knife, plastic knife or similar object can be used to gently scrape spongy moth egg masses into a cup of soapy water. The water can be discarded after two days. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages property owners to examine their trees for spongy moth egg masses and determine whether control measures are needed this spring.

Property owners who have oak, birch, crabapple, aspen, willow and linden (basswood) trees should be particularly watchful because the caterpillars of this invasive insect prefer these species. However, they will feed on many other kinds of trees and shrubs.

Continue reading “Look For Spongy Moth Egg Masses And Take Action” →

Upcoming Training

Posted on by janness

group of people listening to a speaker in the woods* 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 training topics and events, including shade trees, fruit trees, chainsaw certification, tree diseases and pests, pruning and public perspectives on trees. Continue reading “Upcoming Training” →

When Is The Best Time To Prune Trees?

Posted on by janness

By Elton Rogers, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator
Elton.Rogers@wisconsin.gov or 414-294-8675

To best answer the titular question, I like to start by flipping the question on its head: When is the worst time to prune trees?

To answer this reworded question, we first need to acknowledge that “pruning is wounding.” Anytime you cut off a living portion of a tree, you are doing two main things:

  • Removing photosynthetic material.
  • Creating a potential entry point for decay.

Continue reading “When Is The Best Time To Prune Trees?” →

Upcoming Trainings

Posted on by janness

* 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 training topics and events, including tree diseases and treatments, pest management, landscaping, career advancement, invasive species, pruning, volunteer management, new research, partnerships and developing an urban forest management plan. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings” →

2026 Urban Forestry Grants Announced

Posted on by janness

By Nicolle Spafford, DNR Urban Forestry Grant Manager
Nicolle.Spafford@wisconsin.gov or 715-896-7099

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced Urban Forestry Grant Program recipients for the 2026 grant year. The program helps fund projects consistent with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy.

The Urban Forestry Grant Program is distributing almost $550,000 in grant funds. A dollar-for-dollar match puts the total estimated cost of these projects over $1.2 million. In total, 38 applications were selected to receive funding, with awards ranging from $2,128 to $25,000. Continue reading “2026 Urban Forestry Grants Announced” →

DNR Announces Catastrophic Storm Grant Recipients

Posted on by janness

By Nicolle Spafford, DNR Urban Forestry Grant Manager
Nicolle.Spafford@wisconsin.gov or 715-896-7099

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the recipients of the Urban Forestry Catastrophic Storm Grants to assist with damage sustained during severe storms that took place Aug. 9, 2025. Catastrophic storm grants range from $4,000 to $50,000 and do not require a dollar-for-dollar match. Grant funding was distributed among the following three communities: Continue reading “DNR Announces Catastrophic Storm Grant Recipients” →

Community Spotlight: Rhinelander — How One Small Community Is Making Urban Forestry A Priority

Posted on by janness

By Tom Jerow, Rhinelander City Forester

View of the same street before and after urban forestry efforts.

The City of Rhinelander, like many communities with populations under 10,000, has struggled to maintain a vibrant urban forestry program. Funding and staffing are its main challenges. The city also faces a variety of urban forestry issues, including pests and diseases, species diversity, community engagement, catastrophic ice storms and aging sewer and water infrastructure. The latter is one of the most significant challenges. Continue reading “Community Spotlight: Rhinelander — How One Small Community Is Making Urban Forestry A Priority” →