Taking action

Treat your ornamental ash trees for emerald ash borer this spring

Posted on by colleenrobinson
A yellow ornamental ash tree at peak fall color. This tree is worth treating to protect it from being killed by emerald ash borer.

High-value ash tree at peak fall color.

March is a good month to consider insecticide treatments for high-value ornamental ash trees this spring. Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in 42 Wisconsin counties and is expected to be more than 99% fatal to ash trees that are not protected with insecticide every 1-2 years. Many insecticides used in EAB treatments are applied between mid-April and mid-May, and now is a good time to contact a tree service or other pesticide application business if arranging for professional insecticide treatments.

Property owners with susceptible ash trees should consider a number of factors when deciding to treat their ash trees, including financial cost, tree condition and location, the shade a tree provides, its contribution to property values, and aesthetic view. Homeowners should also consider the financial cost of removing a tree that is killed by EAB, and the benefits that a dead tree no longer provides.

Continue reading “Treat your ornamental ash trees for emerald ash borer this spring” →

Finding bird friendly trees

Posted on by Ellen Clark

If you are looking for bird friendly trees and shrubs a database has been created that can help. The Audubon Native Plants Database allows you to enter a zip code and get a list of bird friendly native plants. You can filter based on plant type and what type of bird the plant attracts. The database also shows what kind of birds favor particular plants.

 

For more information contact Ellen Clark (EllenA.Clark@Wisconsin.gov), Urban Forestry Communication Specialist, at 608-267-2774.

 

Urban Forestry supports health care research

Posted on by Ellen Clark

The University of Illinois is taking the lead on a three-year research project exploring urban forestry’s effects on health care spending.  The project will be the first to focus specifically on urban forestry’s economic return on investment.  Health expenditures of over 4 million people will be analyzed with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) canopy coverage.  The project will also result in a free, online tool that can be used to estimate a community’s return on investment for their urban forest.

For more information contact Ellen Clark (EllenA.Clark@Wisconsin.gov), Urban Forestry Communication Specialist, at 608-267-2774.