A mat of Japanese stiltgrass growing in Rock County, Wisconsin, in July 2025. / Photo Credit: John Zaborsky, University of Wisconsin-Madison Renz Weed Science Lab
By Wisconsin DNR
The harmful invasive plant Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) has been detected in a private woodland near Beloit in Rock County, according to a blog post made Monday by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.
It is the second detection of the non-native annual grass in Wisconsin. The first took place in 2020, inside the Coulee Experimental Forest in La Crosse County. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been working to eradicate that population.
Continue reading “Invasive Plant Japanese Stiltgrass Detected In Rock County”
Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting urban forestry projects in Wisconsin can now apply for a regular or startup 2026 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry grant. The total 2026 available funding is $559,680, with a possible release of $139,920 of catastrophic storm reserve to fund a second round in March 2026. 
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is partnering with the UW-Madison Division of Extension to host a series of fall workshops on invasive species plant identification and management. Learn about invasive plants in urban settings, focusing on identification, impacts, management and available resources. Dr. Mark Renz (professor and Extension specialist with UW-Madison) will lead the instruction, with Travis Wilson, Matt Wallrath and John Zabrosky assisting. Each workshop will include morning classroom instruction followed by hands-on field demonstrations in the afternoon. The cost of the workshop is $40 and includes lunch. 
Beginning July 1, 2025, cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in –or conducting their projects in – Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2026 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry grant. The total 2026 available funding is $559,680, with a possible release of $139,920 of catastrophic storm reserve to fund a second round in March 2026. 
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