There are a wide array of opportunities that landowners can take advantage of to learn more about the trees and forests on their property. Most of these are in the form of in-person classes or conferences, but there are also webinars and field days being held around the state. Follow the links below to learn more about each individual event.
Learn About Your Land classes for woodland owners
These classes are sponsored by UW-Extension Natural Resources Educators working in partnership with local DNR Foresters. The classes are usually held in the winter and spring and take place in the evening and during the day on Saturdays on occassion. Click on these links to learn more about the classes at these locations:
COVERTS
“Coverts” is a woodland wildlife management program for private landowners run by the Dept of Forest and Wildlife Ecology of UW-Madison. This 3-day course is held annually in Woodruff, WI.
To learn more: http://fwe.wisc.edu/coverts
Woodland owner conferences
The Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, DNR Foresters and members of UW-Extension organize and host one day conferences around the state for woodland owners in the winter and spring. These conferences usually take place on Saturdays and cover a number of different topics. Below are the dates and locations for the upcoming events along with links for more information when available. Check out the WWOA website for more information.
Your Land, Your Legacy
Apr
10
2025
,
Jun
5
2025
Biweekly Zoom meetings
Online Family Succession Classes
Many family forest owners envision their land remaining in the family for generations. But does your family share your dreams for the future of your land? Do you have a plan in place to keep the land intact? Passing property from one generation to the next is legally and emotionally challenging. This program is designed to give landowners and families the tools to make the transition a successful one.
We encourage attendees to bring family members to start the planning process together. Succession planning takes time and money, but this process is essential if you want to influence your legacy through your land. Through research, we have determined the steps and processes that have the most likely positive outcome for your land and your family. This course is designed to walk you through those steps, and give you time to start working on each of them between the modules.
Successful legacy planning will increase the odds of most or all of the following outcomes: (source—GenerationNext)
❏ More control over what happens to your woodlands
❏ Closer family relationships
❏ Better defined and respected roles of family members
❏ Continued investment and engagement by future generations
❏ Smooth transition of woodlands to heirs
❏ Woodlands remain intact and managed according to your wishes
❏ Reduced tax burden
❏ A long-lasting family legacy
❏ Peace of mind
COURSE WORKLOAD:
- 5 modules to be completed asynchronously (at your own pace) at a rate of roughly 2 module/month
- 5 synchronous (live) discussions over the 8 weeks
- Course work will include: watching short presentations, reading, completing assignments or tasks, participating in discussions asynchronous and synchronous) and time for your own legacy planning work
Learn About Your Land – Chippewa County
Feb
12
2025
,
Feb
19
2025
,
Feb
26
2025
Keeping Your Woods Healthy: The Signs and Symptoms of Sick Trees
A healthy woodland provides many benefits. Do you have injured or dying trees? Your woods may look fine, but are they healthy? This session will review the insects, diseases, animals, nonnative invasive species, environmental factors, and improper woodland management that can affect the health of your woodland. You’ll learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of sick trees and who to call with concerns.
People, Programs, and Planning: Assistance with Your Woodlands
A healthy woodland requires knowledge of forestry techniques and the investment of time and money. This session will link you to the people, programs, and organizations that offer technical and financial assistance for all aspects of your woodland.
Invasive Species Identification and Control
Are you having problems identifying and controlling invasive plants on your property? If so, this class is for you. We will describe the most problematic invasive plants for woodlands in Wisconsin and recommend ways to control them.
Learn About Your Land – Polk County
Feb
11
2025
,
Feb
18
2025
,
Feb
25
2025
Keeping Your Woods Healthy: The Signs and Symptoms of Sick Trees
A healthy woodland provides many benefits. Do you have injured or dying trees? Your woods may look fine, but are they healthy? This session will review the insects, diseases, animals, nonnative invasive species, environmental factors, and improper woodland management that can affect the health of your woodland. You’ll learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of sick trees and who to call with concerns.
People, Programs, and Planning: Assistance with Your Woodlands
A healthy woodland requires knowledge of forestry techniques and the investment of time and money. This session will link you to the people, programs, and organizations that offer technical and financial assistance for all aspects of your woodland.
Invasive Species Identification and Control
Are you having problems identifying and controlling invasive plants on your property? If so, this class is for you. We will describe the most problematic invasive plants for woodlands in Wisconsin and recommend ways to control them.
Fox Valley Woodland Owner’s Conference
Feb
8
2025
@La Sure’s Banquet Hall in Oshkosh, WI.
JOIN US for the 2025 Fox Valley Woodland Owner’s Conference at La Sure’s Banquet Hall in Oshkosh, WI. We’ll start the morning with a hot breakfast and update from your local WDNR forest health specialist. Next up, we have two presentations about woodland invasive species management with a coffee/doughnut break in between. After our final break of the morning, we’ll look at how to protect water quality in your woods and Elk in Wisconsin.
We’ve got a great lineup of speakers and topics to help kick off the new year. Please share the details with a neighbor, register ASAP, and we will see you in February!
7:30 AM Registration and hot breakfast
8:25 Welcome
8:30 Forest Health Update – What happened in 2024? – Bill Mc Nee WDNR
9:15 Woodland Invasive Species Control: Planning, Strategy, and Tactics - Mark Renz UW-Madison Extension
10:00 Break
10:15 Invasive Species Management with Goats – Stephanie Bowers Glorious Goat Ranch
11:00 Break
11:15 Best Practices to Protect Water Quality – Nolan Kriegel WDNR
Noon Elk in Wisconsin – Christina Kizewski WDNR
12:45 – 1:00 Follow up Q and A with speakers.
1:00 PM Adjourn
Getting Things Done in Your Woods 2025
Jan
21
2025
,
Jan
23
2025
,
Jan
28
2025
,
Jan
30
2025
This free series of online classes will help you implement some of the activities you have to achieve your goals for your woodland. Register once for all the classes, and join them live or watch the recordings at a later date.
Wildlife Monitoring Techniques
Tuesday, January 21, 2025, noon to 1:30 PM CT
Hear from a UW–Madison Extension Wildlife Specialist about the ways you can keep track of the wildlife living on and visiting your property. We’ll talk about specific techniques that you can use, a listing of online resources you can take advantage of, and groups you can work with to share information and learn where there have been other observations of different wildlife species.
Improve Your Woods: Roads and Trails for Better Access and Wildlife Habitat
Thursday, January 23, 2025, noon to 1:30 PM CT
There are a number of ways you can make your woods roads and trails better for your personal use, for emergency or logging vehicles, and for wildlife. A wildlife biologist from the Ruffed Grouse Society and a DNR Forester will discuss best practices in designing, building and maintaining woods roads and trails.
Using Herbicides to Control Invasive Plants
Tuesday, January 28, 2025, noon to 1:30 PM CT
UW–Madison Extension Weed Specialists will share with you the techniques for safe and effective use of herbicides. There will be discussions on safety procedures and equipment, choosing the best herbicide for each situation and plant, timing and application rates, and more.
How to Choose Which Trees to Harvest and Which to Leave
Thursday, January 30, 2025, noon to 1:30 PM CT
Many landowners want or need to fell some trees on their property for a variety of reasons and to achieve many different goals. The right decisions on which to to harvest and which to leave will make a big difference in fulfilling the short- and long-term goals you have for your property. In this class, a UW–Madison Extension Forester will provide a step-by-step process for choosing the best trees to harvest and which to leave.