UW-Madison Extension Forestry
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 […]
With the recent Safer at Home Act many of us are looking for ways to pass the time and keep our children and families active and healthy. What better way to pass the time than to learn how to identify invasive species, begin planning control methods, and gathering garlic mustard if it is present on […]
Setting clear goals and priorities can help create a game-plan for climate changeBy: Stephen Handler Changes Ahead As a forest landowner, you might be hearing more about the predictions for climate change in Wisconsin. Temperatures will likely continue to rise, especially in winter. Over the 21st century, winters will likely bring less ice cover and […]
Summer is here! Well, according to the calendar anyway. I haven’t seen the sun in more days than I care to count. As I write this, Memorial Day is just around the corner, and it is a great time for me to talk about the health of your woods. Lots of people will be on […]
Insects, either individually or as a large group, can kill your trees, so it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them and monitor the health of your trees. I was assessing the health of our trees recently, and noticed some that looked a bit under the weather. Many of the branches […]
As the mosquitoes start to disappear, and the leaves begin their fall beauty, we may be hitting our woods more frequently for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling or ATVing. But do you know what may be hitchhiking along with you? Many of the exotic plants, insects and diseases invading our woods are fairly immobile until we […]
June is invasive species awareness month with the theme of “slow the spread by boat and tread”. In this blog, we have continually recommended that regularly walking your property can lead to a healthier woods. When it comes to invasive plants and animals, it is much easier to control small populations; catching them early can […]
Deciding which trees to harvest and when is an important part of getting what you want from your forest. Following the right guidelines will ensure that you will get what you want now and well into the future. When my sister and her husband purchased some wooded property in Vernon County a few years ago, […]