Current woodland topics, classes, webinars, publications, and more to help you meet your goals.
We are redesigning our website, and we want your input! Please take our survey by May 3, 2026 to get a sneak peak at the new design and provide your feedback so we can make the new site as useful to you as possible.
The survey should take you about 15 minutes. If you complete the survey, you will have the option of entering a raffle for a free copy of the new book Tending Your Forest: A Guide to Ecological Forest Stewardship in the Eastern and Central United States by Paul Catanzaro (University of Massachusetts) and Anthony D’Amato (University of Vermont). We will be giving away a total of three copies of the book!
Current Topics
Be on the Lookout for Lesser Celandine
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), sometimes known as fig buttercup, is a short, perennial plant that is spreading in the Midwest. It has shiny, dark green, heart-shaped leaves and small, bright yellow flowers. Natural resource professionals are asking for your help to prevent the spread of this invasive plant and protect our landscapes.
Growing Mushrooms in Buckets
You can produce edible mushrooms in your home easily using a bucket, some wood chips, and mushroom spawn (the “seeds” for growing mushrooms). If you follow the right process, you can harvest mature mushrooms several times from one mixture before the materials have completed all their growth. Learn the process by reading or watching our new tutorial.
Identifying and Managing Invasive Plants
People have introduced plants from all over the world to Wisconsin to add beauty, a new fruit, or a new food source for livestock. Most of these have been relatively harmless, but some of these plants can dramatically change the character of our forests—and not for the better. Learn how to identify and manage invasive plants in your woods.
Upcoming Events
Maple Hour: Companion Crops for the Sugarbush
Tuesday, May 5
Eric Burkhart, Pennsylvania State University professor, botanist, ethnobotanist, and agroforester, joins the Maple Hour to talk about non-timber forest products that can be grown and harvested in an active sugarbush. We’ll look at understory plants like ramps and ginseng, and other forest farming crops worthy of consideration. The Maple Hour is a webinar series for […]
Stopping Stiltgrass in the Upper Midwest: How You Can Protect Our Forests
Thursday, May 7
Stiltgrass is an invasive plant that is widespread in the eastern and southern U.S.—and it has started showing up in the Upper Midwest in recent years. In 2025, four new infestations were found in Wisconsin and one was found in Iowa. Stiltgrass has also been spotted in Michigan, but so far it has not been […]