Wisconsin may be best known for our cheese, lakes and beer, but did you know that we are second in the country for number of Tree City USA communities?! Last year 195 Wisconsin communities achieved Tree City USA status, and those communities are home to nearly 60% of Wisconsinites. Wouldn’t it be something if we were number one in the country this year?! Well, here’s our chance – the application period for Arbor Day Foundation’s (ADF) recognition programs, including Tree City USA and Tree Campus USA, is now open! Continue reading “Arbor Day Foundation now accepting Tree City USA applications!”
Events
October 16 – urban wood webinar: using local materials to enhance design & sustainability on projects
Do you have an interest in learning more about urban wood as a locally and sustainably sourced option for wood building materials? Is your community, organization or company planning for renovations or new construction projects? If you answered yes to either of the above, we invite you to check out an upcoming webinar from Wisconsin Urban Wood on this very topic. Continue reading “October 16 – urban wood webinar: using local materials to enhance design & sustainability on projects”
Training – street and park tree management
Once again, the Village of Gays Mills will be providing excellent community forestry training for surrounding partners and cooperators. Workshop attendees will learn basic information to manage and care for their trees throughout their lifespan. Use the brochure found here to register. For any questions, please contact Cindy Kohles, Gays Mills Village Forester, at (608) 872-2184.
2019 First Downs for Trees
Green Bay Packers and DNR staff plant a ceremonial Sterling Linden tree in Titletown to help offset the Green Bay Packer’s carbon footprint produced by traveling to away games. Trees naturally sequester carbon dioxide, providing a long-term solution to the problem because trees sequester more and more carbon as they grow larger. This marks the 9th year of the Packer’s First Downs for Trees (FDFT) Program which has planted 5,144 trees to date throughout Brown County.
DNR Secretary Cole, DNR staff and former Packers Johnnie Gray and Gerry Ellis planting a tree.
WAA Summer Conference
WAA Summer Conference
Join the WAA (Wisconsin Arborist Association) for their summer conference and picnic at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake on Tuesday, July 16th. The program committee has put together another excellent lineup for this event. They are offering two educational tracks, one indoors and one outdoors- a little something for everyone.
Topics include:
- Cold hardiness of EAB
- Pruning young trees
- Tree care for wildlife
- Toxic Wisconsin plants
- Aerial inspections
- Nutrients, soils and air spade use
- Tree ID basics
- Portable sawmill demonstration
For more information or to register, visit the WAA website at http://www.waa-isa.org/events-programs/summer-conference/.
Invasive plant management on roadsides workshops
Invasive plants have been shown to impact Wisconsin’s economy, environment and human health. Roadsides are a key area where these unwanted plants establish and spread. These right of way habitats are challenging to work in but focused efforts can be successful in preventing spread and reduce invasive plant populations.
To help educate and jumpstart management, The University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension along with 4-Control are conducting roadside invasive plant workshops throughout the state. We invite you to attend one of these five regional workshops. While this training is available to anyone interested, the focus will be on training staff of municipalities that manage vegetation on roadsides. Continue reading “Invasive plant management on roadsides workshops”
Inaugural ‘Good Health Grows on Trees’ conference a success!
Whether it be a hike through the woods, time spent with your family at a local park or sitting beneath the shade of that stately red oak in your backyard, we, as urban forestry professionals and enthusiasts, experience and recognize the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of spending time outdoors in nature.
For decades, scientists have been researching and documenting the health benefits that trees and nature provide, and as urban populations continue to rise, the impact of nearby nature on human health has generated a lot of interest in our world of urban and community forestry.
To further that conversation in Wisconsin, the first ever ‘Good Health Grows on Trees: The Influence of Nearby Nature on Public Health’ conference was hosted by the DNR Urban Forestry program at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville on May 30th. Continue reading “Inaugural ‘Good Health Grows on Trees’ conference a success!”
People from across the state celebrate trees
In 1872, J. Sterling Morton recognized the power of and need for trees. Morton helped set aside a special day for planting trees. After the success of the first Arbor Day that year, it became a legal holiday and now is celebrated across the world.
There is a lot to celebrate when it comes to trees, they shade us and reduce cooling costs, they help clean our air and water, they create a safe and inviting community, and they beautify our cities, streets and neighborhoods. Continue reading “People from across the state celebrate trees”
May 18: WWOA Open Woods events across Wisconsin
Are you a woodland owner who would like to learn more about caring for your woodlands and keeping it healthy? Perhaps you are thinking of purchasing woodlands? This day is for you!
YOU are invited to join Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association’s (WWOA) 40th year c
elebration of educating and assisting Wisconsin’s private woodland owners by attending one of their Open Woods events on Saturday, May 18, 2019. WWOA members around the state will celebrate by opening their private woodlands to the public and hosting a variety of family-friendly events to showcase how they have improved their land through forest management.
The list of event hosts and activities on the WWOA website continues to be updated, so check back often. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to enjoy a walk in the woods or special activity.
Each site will offer a variety of fun events such as walks with the hosts and forester or other natural resource professionals to showcase how the woodlands have been cared for or tentative projects on the land. Other entertainment may include children’s activities with Smoky Bear, crafts, natural bird feeders, wildflower seed bombs, and tree/plant/wildlife identification and exhibits from various nonprofit organizations and agencies. Many locations are also offering snacks and refreshments or encouraging participants to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the woods.
Learn more about caring for your woods at www.wisconsinwoodlands.org
Make trees mean more
Spring is upon us and that means the tree planting season is too. Trees are vital to our environments; they provide individuals and communities with clean air, clean water, reduced cooling costs, safer neighborhoods, and a place to play and gather. But trees provide much more than that, they can help show how much we care for others, a beautiful living reminder of the legacy of a person. Arbor Day is this month, and it is the perfect time to plant a tree and illustrate our feelings for others. Continue reading “Make trees mean more”