By Kim Sebastian, DNR urban forestry coordinator, Milwaukee, Kim.Sebastian@wisconsin.gov, 414-294-8675
Click on “continue reading” or scroll down for the truth about these common myths:
Myth #1: A tree’s root system is a mirror image of what is above ground.
Myth #2: Tree roots are responsible for damaging and blocking sewer lines.
Myth #3: When removing a branch, cut as close (flush) to the trunk as possible.
Myth #4: The branches on a tree move up as the tree grows taller.
Myth #5: Topping is a necessary evil – otherwise the tree will get too big.
Myth #6: If a little fertilizer is good, a lot is better.
Myth #7: After a pruning cut, wound dressing (pruning paint) is necessary.
Myth #8: All newly planted trees must be staked.
Continue reading “Common tree myths – and why you shouldn’t believe”
April 1 – 3, 2020 – Now an Online Learning Event only due to impacts from the coronavirus and associated public health protocols. Attend from the comfort of your favorite chair! 
As winter melts into spring, two new webinar series are getting underway.
The 2020 Annual Statewide WDNR/Wisconsin Arborist Association (WAA) Urban Forestry Conference, “Sustaining Urban Forests to Ensure a Healthy Future,” set another attendance record this past February 16-18 in Green Bay.
The DNR Forest Health team recently updated its factsheet on common forms of abiotic (non-living, chemical and environmental) damage to trees in Wisconsin. 
Last October, the Department of Natural Resources’ Urban Forestry program awarded fifteen communities and
e emerald ash borer (EAB) has a voracious appetite. This pest has eradicated unprotected green and white ash in many communities in southern Wisconsin and can be expected to eventually impact all communities in the state. EAB is also damaging wetland and riverine forests by eliminating green and black ash from these woodlands, which had already become less diverse and resilient from the loss of American elm from Dutch elm disease.
Over the years, the Urban Tree Alliance (UTA), a Madison-based nonprofit, has launched several innovative programs that promote environmental equity. The first of these programs, the