UW-Madison Extension Forestry

Current woodland topics, classes, webinars, publications, and more to help you meet your goals.

Current Topics

Forest in fall

Forest Carbon and Carbon Markets

Wisconsin forests hold over a billion metric tons of carbon—that’s equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from the energy use of nearly 500 million homes. Forest carbon credit programs are increasingly marketing to landowners with as little as 30-40 acres of woodlands, so now is a great time to learn about the science of forest carbon and the economics of carbon markets. 

Mushroom growing from a log

Growing Mushrooms on Logs Using Sawdust Spawn

You can produce edible mushrooms on your property easily using hardwood logs and mushroom spawn (the “seeds” for growing mushrooms). If you follow the right process, you can harvest mature mushrooms over several years from one inoculated log. Read our step-by-step tutorial and watch the accompanying video tutorial.

A man holds up a large balsam fir wreath

Beyond Timber: Growing and Gathering in Your Woods

Timber is far from the only product you can harvest from your woods. If you know what to look for, you can find and foster edibles, materials for crafts, seeds for plant propagation, and more. These non-timber forest products can be for personal use or for additional income. Learn about berries, nuts, firewood, and more.

Current Events

Getting Started with Stewardship – Field Day

Saturday, July 19

Calling all new and prospective landowners, and anyone getting started with land stewardship in Wisconsin. You are invited to the Sauk County Farm on Saturday, July 19th, to connect with peers and conservation professionals. We are coming together to look at conservation in action and discuss ways to achieve your goals for your land. Many […]

Women’s Nature Journaling Hike

Tuesday, July 29

Join us on Tuesday, July 29 at Schmeeckle Reserve in Stevens Point, WI for a Women’s Nature Journaling Hike, where you’ll explore the beauty of mid-summer with a naturalist guide and learn creative journaling techniques from artist and wildlife expert Jennifer. This enriching experience blends science, art, and mindfulness, welcoming women of all experience levels to observe seasonal changes, sketch and […]

Learn About Your Land – Grant & Crawford Counties

Tuesday, August 12

Tuesday, August 19

Tuesday, August 26

Learn About Your Land is a UW-Madison Extension Forestry program intended for Wisconsin woodland owners. The series of classes introduces landowners to forestry topics and local DNR foresters. These classes will be held in person in Boscobel, WI. All classes will run 1.5 hours with the last 30 minutes reserved for YOUR QUESTIONS. Registration is […]

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