I regularly have conversations with farmers, foresters, and family woodland owners who have misconceptions about agroforestry. I get it because agroforestry consists of many different practices which aren’t applicable to every situation. When I attempt to simplify the subject, I say agroforestry is just a fancy word for incorporating trees in agricultural landscapes. However, I insist that the principles behind it are useful for any landowner to […]
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Make sure your planted trees survive and thrive
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 […]
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. […]
Thinking back and looking forward
December tends to be a time for reflection for me. It is a time of cold weather, hot tea, and sitting in my favorite chair thinking about the past year. This year I have been reflecting on what I have accomplished and trying to not compare that list to “before 2020”. This year I didn’t […]
Leaving Wood for Wildlife
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Consider the Moss
One of the joys of walking in the woods with a toddler is moving slowly enough to appreciate the little things. I like to walk with my 2-year-old daughter at a State Natural Area (SNA) near our home. She’s got a different perspective from me, due both to her size and her relationship with the […]