Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), sometimes known as fig buttercup, is a short, perennial plant that is spreading in the Midwest. It has shiny, dark green, heart-shaped leaves and small, bright yellow flowers. Natural resource professionals are asking for your help to prevent the spread of this invasive plant and protect our landscapes.
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Celebrating Forest Products Week 2025
From our woodlands to our everyday lives, a week to celebrate Wisconsin’s Forest Products The forests of Wisconsin are more than just iconic landscapes; they are also a vital resource that provide us with an array of goods and materials that we all use every day all around the world. The forest ecosystem of Wisconsin […]
Southern Wisconsin Woodland Stewards Urged to Check for Invasive Stiltgrass
Update 9/3/2025: We have received a confirmed report of a stiltgrass infestation in Middleton (Dane County). The infestations in Walworth and Dane Counties are small, so the fact that they were detected early will make it much easier to treat them. The infestation in Grant County is about 5 acres, a more difficult but still […]
Forest Products Week
“If you want healthy forests, you need healthy forest industries.” – Scott Bowe If you were asked to imagine the forests of Wisconsin, would a towering pine forest appear? Or maybe a well-shaded maple hardwood forest glowing in warm red colors this time of year? What about a gnarly oak savannah spanning over tall grasses? […]
Get a free Forest Stewardship Plan
Are you having problems figuring out what steps you need to take with your woodland to get what you want out of it? Well then, have we got the deal for you!” We are starting a new project called Wisconsin Stewardship Plan Project (WSPP) to help you get a forest stewardship plan for your woodlands. […]
How to bottle your maple syrup
Now that you have boiled your sap down into syrup, it is time to put it in containers for storage. If you bottle your syrup correctly, it will be shelf stable indefinitely. However, if you do it incorrectly, you can get mold growth in your bottles or crystals forming. Here are some tips to help […]
How to tap trees for optimal sap production
Now that February has arrived, many of us are itching to get outside and tap some maples for sap. One of the critical parts of this process is getting the tap hole right. It is easy to do it incorrectly and this will impact the quantity and quality of your sap. To make sure you […]
Wind damage to trees
When powerful storms move through the state, we get a lot of questions about damage to trees and what folks can do about it. I put together some information on how trees are affected by high winds and snow/ice loads, how they respond, and what you can do to try and get your trees back […]
Why do I need a forester for my timber sale?
It is a question a lot of landowners have, and one I hope to help answer here. For those who feel like they can run a timber sale on their property by themselves, I have some questions for you: What are the mills paying for oak? Maple? Aspen? Pine? Other species? What are your trees […]