If you haven’t yet, check out the first two parts of this tree planting series here and here. I returned to Julie’s property some weeks after they had completed their tree planting to see how things looked. Julie greeted me with a smile as she proudly led me through their brand-new forest. And she had […]
Blog
Author: Bill Klase
Tree planting – It’s all in the details
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a landowner named Julie about some tree planting her family was planning for this spring. We talked about making a plan for where and how to plant the trees they purchased (see that conversation here) and reaching out to her local DNR forester for some advice. […]
Do I really need a plan for where and how I plant my trees?
I was talking with a landowner (Julie) recently about the tree planting her and her family were doing this spring, and she seemed a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. It turns out they have planted a few trees here and there in the past, but nothing compared to the scale they had in mind […]
Myths surrounding the Managed Forest Law Program
I have talked with many woodland owners about the financial programs available to them, and I learned that there are many misconceptions surrounding the DNR Forestry’s Managed Forest Law (MFL) Program. There is so much fear and misinformation surrounding MFL that, at times, I feel like I am defending it rather than touting its benefits. […]
Finding a rare species on your property
We made a pretty exciting discovery in our woods recently. While walking our trails, we came across a wood turtle. Now, we have seen our fair share of uncommon wildlife on our property (recently including a red fox family), so we were not TOO starstruck. But it was still neat to observe one firsthand and […]
Is Silvopasture an Option For Me? By Randy Mell
Professional foresters are educated in the basic needs of establishing and growing trees. During the course of their work, they share with woodlands owners activities they can do in their woods that mimic natures’ way of establishing and improving their trees. Foresters occasionally get questions from landowners on how they can earn more income from […]
Who are those NRCS folks and what can they do for me?
I was talking recently with a landowner about some of the projects they had in mind for their property. As is the case with many of the folks I work with, they had projects that required much more time and money than they had to give. The solution to many of their restraints was a […]
The right shrubs for the right habitat for the wildlife you are looking to attract
In a previous article, we discussed some of the basics for how to choose which wildlife trees and shrubs to plant. For this article, I would like to share more specific details about several shrubs, why to choose them, and where to plant them. These native shrubs fit a fairly wide array of soil and […]
So, you think you know all about your chainsaw, huh?
Chainsaws are powerful tools that make the felling and processing of trees easy. We tend to forget how dangerous these tools can be if used improperly and without safety equipment. Take a moment to test your knowledge about chainsaws and their use. The answers are at the end. 1. About how many people are treated […]
Mushrooms – Not all of them are created equal
In a previous article, I discussed insects that are attacking our trees and I wanted to follow up with a discussion of the common fungi or mushrooms growing in our woods. Just like the insects, some of these are very harmful to our trees and the rest aren’t. What is different from the insects is […]