Blog Articles

MADISON – Black bears have begun to emerge from their dens throughout Wisconsin and homeowners are encouraged to take precautions to avoid potential conflicts. Black bears normally avoid contact with people, but when food sources are available bears can quickly learn to associate humans with food. “Bear are opportunistic feeders and will take advantage of available food sources,” said Brad Koele, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife damage specialist.

Richard “Dick” Hall, Sheboygan Falls – passed away May 8, 2018.  WWOA has lost one of our most active Past Presidents, life member Richard “Dick” Hall.  Dick served on the WWOA Board of Directors from 1983-1990.  He served as President elect from 1984-1985, President from 1985-1986 and Secretary from 1988-1990.  He also served on the Publications and Science Committees.  He was also known for his woodland columns in The Country Today.  In lieu of flowers, memorials in…

Norma Belliveau, Laughlin, NV & Tomahawk – passed away May 3, 2018.  Norma “Fozzy” Bellievue passed away in Nevada where they spent the winters. Norma served on the WWOA Board from 1990-1998.  She served as Secretary from 1990-1991, President from 1991-1993, and President Elect from 1995-1996.  She also served on the Awards and Government Affairs Committees.

Wisconsin bats continue to be hit hard by white-nose syndrome (WNS).  All 60 survey sites visited by conservation biologists in winter 2018 showed signs of infection.  A 99 percent decrease from historic averages at the first documented infection site; a 92 percent drop at sites in their fourth year of infection, and an 85 percent drop at sites in their third year of infection were documented.

The Wisconsin First Detector Network (WIFDN) is a citizen science network that empowers people to take action against invasive species through invasive species monitoring, management, and outreach. WIFDN provides training and resources through a combination of webinars, instructional videos, and hands-on workshops, in addition to providing volunteer opportunities to citizen scientists. Click here to get to their website.

MADISON – Farmers and land managers planting conservation seed mixes should be on the lookout for an aggressively invasive weed called Palmer amaranth, state plant protection officials say. In addition, anyone packing and labeling such seeds must take steps to avoid contaminating the mixes with Palmer amaranth.

Doris Queckboerner, Waupaca – passed away on April 27, 2018.  Cemetery service will be held on Thursday, May 10, 2018.  Memorial contributions can be made to Epilepsy  Foundation, 8301 Professional Place, Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785.

Madison, Wis. ‒ April 23, 2018 ‒ Effectively immediately, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) financial assistance program participants will no longer need a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) number, or to register in the System for Award Management (SAM). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (2018 Omnibus Bill), signed by President Donald Trump on March 23, eliminated these requirements. According to U.S.

Help us get the word out about the sustainable forestry community! We have a new poster available to help promote WWOA and the local chapters. Do you know a local business or hangout with a pubic bulletin board? Consider hanging up a poster in your community to let others know about WWOA. Some suggested locations include libraries, municipal buildings, grocery stores, implement dealers, and restaurants. The posters are printed in color on sturdy cardstock.

This year’s cool spring weather has caused people to wonder if the oak harvesting restrictions that usually begin on April 1 (south of the tension zone) or April 15 (north of the tension zone) might be pushed back due to unusually cold temperatures. The simple answer is no. Even during unusually cold springs, consistent messages about preventing the spread of oak wilt disease apply – “Stop pruning in April” and “Avoid harvesting in April (south of the tension zone)”.