The boundaries of the Northeast, East Central and North Central DNR Urban Forestry regions will be altered at the end of April to balance workload across the regions better. The changes are: Winnebago, Fond du Lac and Green Lake counties are moving from the Northeast to the East Central region. Waushara and Marquette counties are moving from the Northeast to the North Central region. Forest and Florence counties are moving from the North Central to the Northeast region. The map included below reflects these changes and will be available on the Urban Forestry Contacts webpage after the change ..read more

The first Arbor Day celebration was held in Nebraska in 1872. More than 150 years later, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states and in many countries around the world. This year, Arbor Day will be observed in Wisconsin on Friday, April 26. Below are ways you can celebrate, educate and care for trees in your community.   Add Your Arbor Day Event Or Find One Near You Spread the word about your celebration by adding your event to the Arbor Day Foundation webpage, or search the Arbor Day Foundation events page to find an event near you. Contribute To Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge L ..read more

For the last few years, our urban forestry team has been writing social media posts for Wisconsin communities to post during Arbor Week. We encourage you to use social media to celebrate the many benefits of trees and inform the public about the importance of tree care. Feel free to use the suggested messages provided below or develop your own create tree campaign. Message #1: [Name of community] is proud to celebrate [x] years as a Tree City USA! We’re committed to investing in our trees, maintaining them to the highest standards, and celebrating their benefits with the public. Learn mor ..read more

Started in 1976, Tree City USA is one of the Arbor Day Foundation’s oldest programs. The founders had a vision for a greener, healthier America and hoped this initiative would inspire change on a nationwide level. The first Tree City USA cohort was comprised of 42 communities in 16 states. Today, the program includes more than 3,600 communities from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Publicly demonstrating commitment to the environment is a great way to build pride among residents, as well as position your community as an attractive place to live. The Tree City USA program provid ..read more

Tree Canopy, Environmental Justice & Urban Forestry: Understanding The Relationship With Dr. Dexter Locke, USDA Forest Service The University of Massachusetts Amherst is bringing back its Urban Forestry Today’s Summer Tree Summit, kicking it off with a discussion of how to define environmental justice in the context of urban tree canopy cover and urban forest management. Join Dexter Locke from the USDA Forest Service as he explains these important terms and concepts and their practical ramifications for urban foresters and residents. The fee for this LIVE BROADCAST on Thursday, May 30 ..read more

By Erika Segerson-Mueller, DNR Invasive Plant Program Specialist, Oshkosh Service Center;Erika.SegersonMueller@wisconsin.gov or 715-492-0391 A common garden ornamental, Bishop’s goutweed may be better known to home gardeners as “snow-on-the-mountain.” / Photo Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Introduced as an ornamental plant commonly planted in gardens, Bishop’s goutweed is a restricted invasive plant in Wisconsin under Invasive Species Rule NR40. Also known by common names such as snow-on-the-mountain, bishop’s weed and goutwort, the variegated variety with ..read more

By Caleb Burden, Acting Field Lead Technician, USDA APHIS PPQ;Caleb.Burden@usda.gov or 734-732-0025 A green ash tree with a small piece of bark cut back shows emerald ash borer larvae feeding on the tree. / Photo Credit: USDA APHIS PPS In the fight against emerald ash borer (EAB), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) again asks Wisconsin landowners to donate live, EAB-infested ash trees for use in a biological control program. The emerald ash borer is an invasive insect from Asia first detected in the United States in 2002. Following its discovery, EAB has caused the death and ..read more

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Forest Health Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg; Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167 A typical main page of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ monthly Forest Health News publication. / Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR The readers have spoken … well, they’ve filled out their surveys. Now, we’re documenting what we learned. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health team recently surveyed subscribers to its monthly Forest Health News, an internal and external newsletter sent out during the first week of every month. Here a ..read more

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Forest Health Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg;Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forest invasive plants program specialist Erika Segerson-Mueller speaks at a 2023 gathering in Wausau. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR Members of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health team have planned the following public outreach appearances for the month of April: Wednesday, April 10: DNR forest invasive plants program specialist Erika Segerson-Mueller will discuss “How to Start a Cooperative Invasiv ..read more

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Forest Health Communications and Outreach, Fitchburg;Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167 A screenshot of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension web page inviting viewers to ask a gardening question of its staff. / Graphic Credit: University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Now that spring has sprung, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staffers can expect questions from the public about their yard trees. However, the mission of DNR Foresters and Forest Health staff is geared toward focusing on larger, forested areas, not yard trees. Th ..read more