By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist
Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578
Much of what we know about our urban forests is limited to publicly maintained spaces such as in parks or along streets. However, the curtain covering other urban lands is rising, starting in Milwaukee and Madison.
The Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (UFIA) program, a partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the DNR, has established 1,300 permanent plots in urban areas across Wisconsin. Project foresters captured loads of information on each plot, such as tree species and sizes, land ownership, tree damages, and wood volume. The data were extrapolated from those plots and made into estimates for each city. The data were also incorporated into i-Tree to calculate ecosystem services. Continue reading “Urban Forest Inventory And Analysis Release”
*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The application period is now open for hundreds of internships with the state of Wisconsin, including two positions with the DNR’s Urban Forestry program!
Employee attitudes and well-being improve with exposure to nature. Think about it. Every weekday we commute to work, only to be met by a dark cubicle in shades of beige and grey. Ever wonder why your mood starts to match the walls? It’s because the workplace environment contributes to employee health. We’ve known this to be true (anecdotally) for a long time, but mounting scientific evidence proves our urban and community forests have beneficial effects on employee performance. 
The trees on school properties mirror those of the surrounding urban forest in composition but not in coverage.