Did you know?

Did You Know? Facts About Pine Webworm

Posted on by akabelowsky

By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Webbing and a collection of frass (caterpillar excrement) around these cones is the web nest of pine webworm. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Pine webworm (Pococera robustella) is a native moth whose caterpillars feed on pine needles. In Wisconsin, the caterpillars prefer young jack pine and red pine. A single generation per year occurs in Wisconsin.

Young larvae mine needles, feeding within the needle. Older larvae form a compact web that they fill with small, oval pieces of frass. In early fall, the larvae drop to the ground to pupate and spend the winter.

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Tree City USA – Online Portal Open, No More Paper Applications!

Posted on by janness

By Laura Buntrock, DNR Urban Forestry Partnership & Policy Specialist, Laura.Buntrock@wisconsin.gov or 608-294-0253

kids holding a Tree City USA bannerThe online portal for Tree City USA (TCUSA) is now open, with applications due Dec. 31. If you’re new to TCUSA, you can learn more about the program on the Arbor Day Foundation’s (ADF) website or from your DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator. Please note that beginning this year, Arbor ADF is no longer accepting paper applications. You can create an account by clicking “sign up now” on the application portal login page. Within the online portal, you will have access to your historical data. More information is available on ADF’s FAQ page. Continue reading “Tree City USA – Online Portal Open, No More Paper Applications!” →

Reminder: Urban Forestry Council Award Nominations Due Oct. 31

Posted on by janness

Governor Tony Evers poses with award winnersDo you know of a person or organization that is making a difference in community forestry? Maybe it is a volunteer who spends their free time planting trees in the community or an organization that is committed to increasing tree diversity or a municipal employee who has dedicated their career to transforming a city’s urban forestry program. If so, please complete this short online nomination form to recognize them for their efforts! Continue reading “Reminder: Urban Forestry Council Award Nominations Due Oct. 31” →

Don’t Stop Watering Your Trees Yet!

Posted on by janness

By Brian Wahl, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator, Brian.Wahl@wisconsin.gov or 608-225-7943

A simple act, a science and an art, but bottom line – all trees need water (even in autumn)

It’s a very dry start to autumn this year. Heck, it’s been a dry second half of summer, but thanks to our lovely wet spring, we aren’t in a drought yet. However, areas of the state are “abnormally dry” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. So be sure to get out there and water your newly planted trees! If you have the time, your established trees would appreciate a cool drink of H20 as well.

screenshot of WI drought map

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Program Spotlight: DNR’s Inflation Reduction Act Funded Projects Taking Root

Posted on by janness

By Jay Dampier, DNR IRA Grant Coordinator, Jason.Dampier@wisconsin.gov or 920-765-1935

a newly planted tree in front of a municipal building

A tree planted with IRA funds is poised to provide shade over the parking lot at Mᶏᶏnᶏᶏpe Hocira – Ho-Chunk Veterans Housing Complex.

On a crisp spring morning in 2025, shovels break ground along a city street in Wisconsin. In another community, trees are being inventoried and assessed for risk. Elsewhere, a dangerous dead ash tree is being removed with a crane to make a neighborhood safer. It’s all part of a bold, three-year initiative made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and administered by the DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. One year in, the thirteen grant-funded projects totaling $4 million are already taking root. Grantees include municipalities, tribes, nonprofits and one county. Grant awards range from under $100,000 to nearly $500,000 and are helping communities grow healthier, greener and more resilient. Together, these efforts are transforming neighborhoods and creating a legacy of shade, clean air and beautification across Wisconsin. Continue reading “Program Spotlight: DNR’s Inflation Reduction Act Funded Projects Taking Root” →

DNR Tree And Shrub Seedling Sales To Begin Oct. 6

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting seedling orders from Wisconsin landowners for trees and shrubs to be planted in spring 2026, starting Oct. 6, 2025.

Wisconsin forest nurseries have provided high-quality, native tree seedlings, appropriate for planting throughout Wisconsin, for over 100 years. Seedlings grown at the state nurseries are used for reforestation and conservation plantings on private, industrial, tribal and public lands. Continue reading “DNR Tree And Shrub Seedling Sales To Begin Oct. 6” →

Beech Blight Aphids Visible In Eastern Wisconsin

Posted on by akabelowsky
A photo of beech blight aphids found on a beech twig at Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan County.

Beech blight aphids are found on a beech twig at Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan County, Sept 5, 2025. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

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

Late summer and fall is the time of year when fluffy “beech blight aphids” become very noticeable on American beech trees (Fagus grandifolia) in the eastern quarter of Wisconsin, where the tree species occurs.

These large aphids grow white, waxy filaments from their abdomens and feed in a colony on the branches of beech trees. When disturbed, they all shake their abdomens in an attempt to scare off predators. This behavior has led to the insect being commonly known as the “boogie woogie aphid.”

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Invasive Japanese Stiltgrass Detected In Three More Counties

Posted on by akabelowsky
Wide-angle photo of a mat of Japanese stiltgrass in Rock County, Wisconsin, in July 2025

A mat of Japanese stiltgrass in Rock County, Wisconsin, in July 2025. / Photo Credit: John Zaborsky, University of Wisconsin-Madison Renz Weed Science Lab

By Wisconsin DNR

Thanks to the help of eagle-eyed observers across southern Wisconsin, the harmful invasive plant Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) has now been detected in three additional counties. That brings the total number of Wisconsin counties to five.

The most recent detections of the non-native, annual grass came in Dane, Grant and Walworth counties. The Dane County find was in Middleton, northwest of Madison; in Grant County, it was found southeast of Wyalusing State Park; in Walworth County, it was found north of Geneva Lake.

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Autumn Is A Great Time To Treat Invasive Plants

Posted on by akabelowsky

By Wisconsin DNR

Photo of rosettes on a garlic mustard plant. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Rosettes on a garlic mustard plant. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

As temperatures begin to fall the leaves of many plants and trees have begun to change color. Some trees in the northern part of the state have already started to drop their leaves.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds the public that fall is more than a great time to enjoy the changing hues in the woods. It also presents a good opportunity to spot the invasive plants persisting among the native plants and trees.

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Urban Forestry Award Nominations Due Oct. 31

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The Urban Forestry Council presents annual awards to outstanding individuals, organizations, communities and tribes that further urban forestry in Wisconsin. Awards are presented in the categories of Next Gen, Project Partnerships, Lifetime Achievement, Innovations in Urban Forestry, Leadership and Species Diversity. The awards are announced each year at the annual WAA/Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Annual Conference and presented to winners in their community.

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