My Wisconsin Woods

09/04/2026

Happy National Wildlife Day! 🌲 From bald eagles overhead to red fox moving through the understory, our state's wildlife relies on woodlands like YOURS every day. What have you seen on your land lately?

Want to provide a safe place for wildlife on your land? Check out this article to learn about the basics that wildlife need to thrive! https://mywisconsinwoods.org/questions/healthy-woods/wildlife/

📸Ivan K. Fox via Unsplash

09/01/2026

Which gold star are you giving yourself? Or maybe you're giving a gold star to your state or cooperating forester. Let us know in the comments.

Collaborating with a forester is a great way to learn how to meet your goals! ⭐️National Association of State Foresters

Looks like State Foresters are getting gold stars this year! 😉 State forestry agencies conserve, protect, and strengthen forests. Whether you own forestland or just love the outdoors and want to make a difference, state forestry agencies can help! 🌳

08/27/2026

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?!

While woodchucks can be somewhat of a "nuisance" at times, they help keep the ecosystem healthy. Their deep digging constantly turns over and loosens compacted soil, and thus they bring nutrient-rich subsoil up to the surface layer.

On a stinkier note, their underground f***s, urine, and food waste naturally enrich the soil. They also help spread native plant seeds across fields and pastures through their droppings.

It's important for us to keep in mind that while certain species can be difficult to coexist with, they also play an important role on your property.

📸A woodchuck strutting in Manitowoc County from Snapshot Wisconsin

08/26/2026

Many Wisconsin schools start their new year in the next couple of weeks. What you might not be thinking about is the forest products behind the school supply list.

That pencil in the supply box? Wood. The notebook paper, tissues, folders, even the eraser: all trace back to trees, and some of those trees grew right here in Wisconsin.

Our state's forest products industry brings in $4.5 billion in labor income a year and supports 56,000 jobs directly, most of it in paper and paperboard production.

It's also a good reminder of why sustainable forest management matters. Well-managed woodlots keep producing this stuff year after year without running out.

Want to learn more about forest products in the state? There's a whole week of events in October dedicated to it! Check out Forest Products Week 2026 right here: https://www.uwsp.edu/wisconsin-forestry-center/homepage/community-education/wisconsin-forest-products-week-2026/

08/24/2026

Trumpeter swan cygnets are currently learning to fly! 🪽

Did you know that the Trumpeter swan is the largest native waterfowl in North America? Cygnets hatch in late spring, weigh about 7 ounces, can swim within 24 hours. They stay close to their protective parents for several months.

Young cygnets spend late summer vigorously stretching and flapping their wings on the water to build flight muscle strength. Their first attempts involve frantic, splashy running across the water surface with heavy wing beats to gain lift.

If you have wetlands, shallow lakes, marshes, and slow rivers on your property, you may get a chance to witness the show!

📸 A trumpeter swan cygnet at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota. Young trumpeter swans are called cygnets. Robert Larson/USFWS

08/20/2026

As if your "to be read" list isn't long enough... 📖🤓

Our latest edition of "5 Books Every Landowner Should Read," is available now. This topic is consistently landowner's favorite article of the year.

In this third installment, we explore everything from agriculture to amphibians! Check it out here: https://mywisconsinwoods.org/2026/08/20/5-books-every-landowner-should-read-edition-3/

📸Denise Thornton

08/19/2026

Spruce budworms are finished feeding for the year, but the damage is still being noticed. That’s especially true in areas where defoliation was severe, such as northeastern Oneida County and southeastern Vilas County.

Read more here:https://forestrynews.blogs.govdelivery.com/2026/08/05/spruce-budworm-hits-hemlock-and-tamarack/

📸 Hemlock branches show missing needles, and needles with feeding damage, as the result of spruce budworm infestation from Wisconsin DNR.

08/13/2026

Along sunny woodland edges and old field margins across Wisconsin, wild blackberries are ripening right now, deep purple-black and glossy, with the season running through late August into September.

A good rule for any forager: take only what you'll use, and leave plenty on the cane. Black bears, ruffed grouse, and plenty of songbirds are working this same late-summer flush.

Found a good patch on your land this year? Tell us where the bramble is thickest (no exact coordinates required, we know foragers keep their spots close.) 😉

Want to learn more about phenology? Purchase the Aldo Leopold Foundation's 2027 Phenology Calendar here: https://aldoleopold.org/products/2027-phenology-calendar

08/11/2026

100,000 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY! 🎉

To celebrate 100k folks caring about their woodlands, and wanting to learn more about sustainable forestry, we're giving away some goodies to one special follower.

TO ENTER:
- Make sure you're following My Wisconsin Woods
- Like this post

YOU COULD WIN:
- Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 10 x 24 Binocular ($330 value)
- State of Wisconsin Spoon Rest
- Aldo Leopold Foundation Journal and Planner
- Two Aldo Leopold Foundation can koozies
- Aldo Leopold Foundation Elton Oak print
- A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

A very special thank you to Vortex Optics for donating their Diamondback Binocular for this giveaway! Check out Vortex here: https://vortexoptics.com/

Learn more about The Aldo Leopold Foundation here: https://aldoleopold.org/

FINE PRINT: Giveaway ends Monday, August 17 at 8AM CST. Giveaway will be messaged via direct message, and if they do not reply within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Cannot be exchanged for cash. Must reside within the USA for shipping.

My Wisconsin Woods connects Wisconsin woodland owners to the information, services, and trained professionals to help them take care of their woods.

08/10/2026

Do you consider the fungus among us? 🤔🍄

Fungi show us cooperative, alternative, entangled, interdependent, and more-than-human modes of living that are worth studying, imitating, and learning from.

Join Aldo Leopold Foundation virtually on THIS THURSDAY to hear from mycologist Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian as she shares the fascinating, though often-misunderstood, world of fungi.

Register for free here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AgwHBBdJhEnkMdoCqyvTKrf4KMO3-VTalNhkvI4x5WFptnWu71Pu~AsubJwfPubtrak9xcchcKJmHB2TLD9Z6dIQD1gaeOz3eSP1clKiZnLc3QqTkqcgBB3tcbXt491pqmQYa5FC2TqdjIA