“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? […]
Blog
Tag: forest management
Check your chainsaw checklist before heading out to the woods
I don’t know how many times I have headed out into our woods to do some chainsaw work and had forgotten something. It is usually something critical like water, or my hatchet, or I brought the wrong fuel mix. After maybe the fourth or fifth time of this happening (and yes, I am a slow […]
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 […]
Financial assistance for woodland owners
I just got off the phone with Mike. Mike is a landowner in Marathon County who just purchased some property, and was floundering a bit with where to start. He has 80 acres of land that had been used for hay, has some wet areas, and he would like to see more wildlife on the […]
Mapping your property
We’ve been getting some more rain around the state recently, and hopefully snow is right around the corner. So think of this blog post as what to do on a rainy day when you are stuck inside. Think of this “down time” as an opportunity to organize your upcoming plans for your woodland, and put […]
Wildlife for your Woodlot
A popular reason for owning woodlands is recreation, including hunting and wildlife watching. The wildlife that is found in woodlot is based on specific wildlife needs. In order for landowners to manage for wildlife, they need to take these into consideration. Wildlife have four basic requirements for life: water, food, shelter and space. Landowners have […]
Exploring Wildlife Trees
Competition is the name of the game in our woodlands. Trees are competing against each other for nutrients. Wildlife are competing for food. Our own desires for our woods can compete against each other. However, you will most likely want to get a variety of things out of your woods (firewood, wildlife, recreation). Understanding what […]
Selecting Trees for Planting
If you are thinking of planting trees, fall is the time to start planning for that project. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and private tree nurseries start taking orders in the fall (and specifically October for the DNR) for the spring planting season, and they do sell out. More details on how to […]
An introduction to agroforestry
In an earlier post, I introduced the concept of agroforestry. In this post, I will expand on what agroforestry is, and how it is being used here in Wisconsin. Although this post may seem very agricultural centered, I should point out a few things. One, many woodlots are associated with farmsteads, and are not seen […]