Mary Bartkowiak, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Forestry Invasive Plants Coordinator, gives a presentation on invasive plants at the University of Wisconsin’s Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff on June 25. / Photo Credit: Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
It seems quite fitting that a natively grown expert has spent much of the last 15 years of her career fighting the expansion of invasive plant species in Wisconsin.
Mary Bartkowiak, a Wisconsin native who joined the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2010 and has served as the Forest Invasive Plants Coordinator since 2020, announced her retirement in February.
Continue reading “Mary Bartkowiak Retires As Forest Invasive Plant Coordinator”
Wisconsin winters with subzero weather can create problems for our trees. Frost cracks are one of those problems we’re seeing an uptick of lately. These longitudinal openings can run the entire length of the trunk, often extend deep into the wood, and permanently damage a tree. In wintertime, the tree may even look like it’s splitting in half! Then warmer weather comes, and the crack seems to close, repeating this process annually. Over time, frost cracks may even develop a raised area where callus tissue develops in an attempt to close over the wound, only to reopen again next winter. 
