By Jamie Nack, Extension Senior Wildlife Outreach Specialist Chances are deer play a significant role in how you evaluate the success of your woodland stewardship. Whether that’s because deer and deer hunting are the primary reason you own your woodland property or because deer have the ability to significantly impact forest regeneration and species composition of your woodlands….or perhaps it’s both! When it comes to managing deer, the key to […]
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Author: Anthony Johnson
Forest Farming – Agroforestry for Any Property
The last agroforestry practice for this series is forest farming, i.e. growing crops in the woods. Forest farming makes use of a multilayered woodland to produce specialty crops that cannot survive in simplified environments like a typical garden or farm field. No matter what your woods currently looks like, forest farming offers a lot of […]
Riparian Buffers – Agroforestry for Any Property
Wisconsin private landowners care for over 10 million acres of woodlands that are critical to protecting watersheds across the state. Do you know what watershed your land is in? If not, SEE HERE. A watershed is an area of land that drains rainfall to a common outlet. In Wisconsin, the common outlet we all share […]
Windbreaks – Agroforestry for Any Property
I regularly talk with foresters, farmers and woodland owners who have not thought twice about agroforestry. I get it. Some people have never heard of it, and others think I’m talking about putting cows in the woods. However, agroforestry consists of five very different primary practices (outlined here) that are applicable to to a variety […]
Leaving Wood for Wildlife
If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to see it, does it make a mess? On a recent trip to my in-laws, I took a walk with my dog in their woodlot. It was a crisp fall day and the wind whistled through the open under-story. Most of the leaves had […]
A Woodland Owner’s Journey Through the Bureaucracy
‘Conservation is seldom convenient’ – Randy Newberg I often think about this quote when talking with landowners looking for help with their woods. Whether help is answering a question about a tree, putting together a Forest Management Plan, or executing that plan, there are many different people, programs, and sources of information to consider. In extension forestry, our first recommendation is usually […]
Consider the Moss
One of the joys of walking in the woods with a toddler is moving slowly enough to appreciate the little things. I like to walk with my 2-year-old daughter at a State Natural Area (SNA) near our home. She’s got a different perspective from me, due both to her size and her relationship with the […]
Better Birding: How to Get Started?
While taking a family walk on Mother’s Day, my wife pointed out a female Baltimore Oriole in its yellow plumage. My sister-in-law, who could not ID the bird, was impressed. She sighed, ‘I wish I knew birds…’ Her comment got me thinking. How did we learn about birds and what tips would I share with […]
Taking a Snapshot of Wisconsin’s Wildlife
Have you ever wondered what’s wandering the woods when you’re not there? Motion-triggered trail cameras are a great way to find out. Trail cameras have been popular in the whitetail hunting world for a while. However, in recent years the technology has greatly improved, and the prices have plummeted. As trail cameras become more accessible, outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts are pursuing […]