Date: Feb. 16-18, 2025
Location: KI Convention Center, Green Bay, WI
Care for your woods
Keep Watering In Fall To Protect Trees
By Lisa Johnson, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, Extension Dane County; Johnson.Lisa@danecounty.gov
‘Winter burn’ refers to a type of damage to evergreen foliage that typically occurs over winter. Common symptoms are browning and dying from the tips of the foliage inward. Several factors cause winter burn on evergreens, including winter ‘thaws’ while the ground is frozen, dry soil in autumn, a long period of very cold temperatures, winter sun on evergreen foliage or drying winter winds, poor siting of susceptible plants, recent planting/transplanting and the individual plant’s susceptibility. Frequently affected plants include yews, junipers, boxwood, arborvitae, rhododendrons, dwarf Alberta spruce and hemlock. Continue reading “Keep Watering In Fall To Protect Trees”
Upcoming Trainings
*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and does not constitute an endorsement from the WI DNR.
See below for information on arborist safety, tree biology and US Forest Service recorded webinars. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings”
Gov. Evers, DNR Announce Inflation Reduction Act Urban Forestry Grant Recipients
Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced Urban Forestry Grant (UF) recipients, funded through the Biden-Harris Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
“Wisconsin’s forests are a critical resource for our state, promoting clean air, preserving natural habitats, and bolstering our statewide economy,” said Gov. Evers. “Thanks to our local and federal partners, these investments help build a stronger, more resilient forestry industry, and will protect our environment and grow our economy for generations to come.”
Continue reading “Gov. Evers, DNR Announce Inflation Reduction Act Urban Forestry Grant Recipients”
Reminder: 2025 DNR Urban Forestry Grant Application Open
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 2025 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Grant. Continue reading “Reminder: 2025 DNR Urban Forestry Grant Application Open”
Upcoming Trainings
*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin DNR.
Below is information on trainings hosted by the Wisconsin Arborist Association, Blue Heron Stewardship chainsaw training and the Urban and Community Forestry Society. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings”
Winter Squirrel Damage Killing Maple Branches
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
Two photos show maple branches that died recently due to previous damage from squirrels. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR
Have you noticed maple branches suddenly dying this summer?
Sudden mortality of maple branches during the summer in northern Wisconsin is often a result of squirrel damage that occurred in late winter and early spring.
In late winter and early spring, gray squirrels strip the bark of maples to get at the sweet maple sap. When the damage is extensive or severe, entire trees or branches will be killed immediately and will not leaf out in the spring.
Continue reading “Winter Squirrel Damage Killing Maple Branches”
Japanese Beetles Finding New Locations
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
A closeup photo of Japanese beetles defoliating basswood leaves. The invasive pest is becoming more prevalent in northern Wisconsin. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is an invasive insect that feeds on many plant species. The pests “skeletonize” leaves by eating the material between the veins.
Adult Japanese beetles feed on the flowers and leaves of more than 300 plant species, including trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Forest trees can be defoliated, with open-grown or edge trees suffering the highest defoliation rates.
Japanese Stilt Grass An Aggressive New Invasive
By Erika Segerson-Mueller, DNR Invasive Plant Program Specialist, Oshkosh Service Center
Erika.Segersonmueller@wisconsin.gov or 715-492-0391
The slightly off-center silvery midrib of Japanese stilt grass leaves provides a key to identification. / Photo Credit: Leslie J. Merhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Want an advantage over your taller friends? Try propping yourself up on a pair of stilts. As its name suggests, this is precisely how Japanese stilt grass operates. It uses “stilts” (branching rootlets near its base) both as support and to sprawl over nearby plants.
Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum) is an invasive, warm-season annual grass. It grows one to three feet tall and has an aggressive, mat-like growth that creates dense patches and discourages native plants from establishing. It is also a prolific seed producer, with each plant producing up to 1,000 seeds that can easily spread over land and water during its growing season.
Continue reading “Japanese Stilt Grass An Aggressive New Invasive”
Jack Pine Budworm Outbreak Subsides
By Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Hayward
Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-416-4920
Aerial view of jack pine budworm defoliation in jack pine stands in Douglas County during the 2023 outbreak. / Photo Credit: Paul Cigan, Wisconsin DNR
Jack pine defoliation caused by the jack pine budworm (JPBW) continued at mostly light levels this year, affecting stands in the Central and Northwest Sands Ecological Regions of Wisconsin.
In the Northwest Sands, jack pine stands experienced light and scattered defoliation across Burnett, Douglas, Polk and Washburn counties. In the Central Sands, JPBW caused moderate to heavy defoliation across roughly 500 acres of jack pine on county and state forests in Jackson County, east of Black River Falls.