By Dan Buckler, Urban Forestry Assessment Specialist, DNR
The Urban Forestry program’s recently released Urban Tree Canopy data shows the extent of tree and shrub cover across every Wisconsin municipality and urban area. The City of New Berlin in southeast Wisconsin offers a glimpse into the kind of information you could derive from the canopy data. Continue reading “A Glimpse into New Berlin’s Tree Canopy”
By Olivia Witthun, Urban Forestry Coordinator
The second of three sessions for Wisconsin’s Community Tree Management Institute (CTMI) was held February 6-7, 2018 in Green Lake. Through hands-on training and exercises, twenty-six students from across the state learned how to identify community forestry management needs and get the work done. Topics included: inventories, management plans, urban and community forestry operations (planting, pruning and removal), natural areas, tree biology, hardscape conflicts, soils, risk tree management and tree emergencies. Instructors for session II included: municipal forestry staff, university staff, consultants and DNR staff. The variety of instructors, their perspectives and interactive components are meant to appeal to all learning styles. Continue reading “Community Tree Management Institute: Building on a solid foundation”
The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council recently announced award recipients honoring those dedicated to protecting, preserving and increasing the number of trees that line city streets, fill community parks and beautify neighborhoods throughout the state. Continue reading “City tree champions lauded for outstanding community service”
The 2018 WAA/DNR Annual Conference was held February 18-20 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This year there was a record attendance of 857 people. Those in attendance were from the private industry, business owners, municipal staff, and state employees. Again, this year there were several different tracks attendants could attend: general sessions, climbers corner, introductory, business and utility. Across these tracks many topics were covered, from insects and pests to climbing and building an arboriculture business. This three-day conference also hosted many different exhibitors from the industry to provide attendees with up-to-date technology, equipment and practices to improve their work. Continue reading “2018 WAA/DNR Conference was an immense success”
Contents of this article are shared for informational purposes only. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources does not endorse and makes no representations, expressed, inferred or implied, concerning these organizations, programs or services.
By Paul Fliss, City Forester, City of New Berlin, WI
The City of New Berlin applied for a National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant in 2017. The proposed project will cover 9.59 acres and encompass the length of Deer Creek and the wetlands to the south and east of the City Center Business District. Common to this area are several species of resident birds, migratory songbirds, owls and waterfowl. Recent history has revealed an abundance of whitetail deer and smaller animals such as muskrats, raccoon, opossum, skunks, various mice/voles and even evidence of a beaver. The habitat for these species is that of an urban to rural interface and wetland transition ecology. The current state of the defined proposal areas vary between ‘poor’ with construction debris, litter and heavily infested invasive species to ‘fair’ with few invasive species and nearly undisturbed lowland habitat, native trees and wetlands plants. Continue reading “Building a Community Ecology Project”
Written in conjunction with Mike Jentsch, West Bend Parks and Forestry
The city of West Bend is in Washington County, about a 30-minute drive north of Milwaukee. More than 32,000 people call West Bend home. Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in West Bend on June 9, 2010. The DNR Urban Forestry team previously showcased West Bend’s efforts to mitigate EAB in the city. We are showcasing West Bend again to show how their EAB efforts have changed as the pest grows and effects more and more trees. Their efforts can help shed light their hard work and guide communities that are just now being affected. Continue reading “Update on EAB in West Bend”
If you’re near Wauwatosa, stop by and check out this urban wood art exhibit – Fresh Perspective Art Collective’s 2nd Annual “Urban Heroes, Urban Wood” Black History Month Show. Notable Black Milwaukeeans have painted and drawn on salvaged wood from Milwaukee’s ash trees. The exhibition runs from February 16 – March 16. For more information check out https://www.artsinmilwaukee.org/events/urban-heroes-urban-wood-2005.
For more information contact Ellen Clark, Urban Forestry Communication Specialist at (EllenA.Clark@wisconsin.gov) 608-267-2774.
The Milwaukee Bucks and American Transmission Co. (ATC) are bringing back their “Trees for Threes” initiative for the 2017-18 Milwaukee Bucks season. Through the Trees for Threes platform, the Bucks and ATC will sponsor the planting of a new tree in Wisconsin for every 3-pointer the Bucks make at home this season.
Continue reading “Professional sports work to plant trees”
In November, two Urban Forestry team members, Alex Elias (Urban Forestry Grants Manager) and Ellen Clark (Urban Forestry Communications Specialist), attended the Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Partners in Community Forestry Conference is a two-day gathering for individuals, nation-wide from industry, non-profit, and state, local and federal agencies alike to come together and collaborate and share ideas, research and interests with others. The conference offered peer-to-peer learning opportunities and educational sessions regarding how to engage communities and partners to promote trees. The conference also fostered discussions regarding how to develop nationwide metrics and stories promoting urban forestry.
Continue reading “Urban Forestry staff convene in Tulsa, OK”
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he Urban Forestry team has recently added a new member, Abner Jacobson. Abner will be an Urban Forestry Grant Specialist. Originally from the East Side of Madison, Abner graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2017 with degrees in Communication Arts and Political Science. Continue reading “Welcoming a new team member”
