@myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
Do you use a Plant ID app to help identify plants you see? A group of University of Minnesota Extension educators are trying to learn more about the public needs around plant ID apps. Take this short survey to help us create new content that might answer your questions! z.umn.edu/plantIDapp
December 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Do you use a Plant ID app to help identify plants you see? A group of University of Minnesota Extension educators are trying to learn more about the public needs around plant ID apps. Take this short survey to help us create new content that might answer your questions! z.umn.edu/plantIDapp
Minnesotans! The new Sustainable Foraging Task Force is hosting public listening sessions on Nov 18–20 and Dec 3 to gather input on foraging.
The Task Force is examining ecological impacts, regulations, and opportunities for sustainable access statewide.
Details: www.lcc.mn.gov/foraging/mee...
The Task Force is examining ecological impacts, regulations, and opportunities for sustainable access statewide.
Details: www.lcc.mn.gov/foraging/mee...
November 17, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Minnesotans! The new Sustainable Foraging Task Force is hosting public listening sessions on Nov 18–20 and Dec 3 to gather input on foraging.
The Task Force is examining ecological impacts, regulations, and opportunities for sustainable access statewide.
Details: www.lcc.mn.gov/foraging/mee...
The Task Force is examining ecological impacts, regulations, and opportunities for sustainable access statewide.
Details: www.lcc.mn.gov/foraging/mee...
ICYMI: Extension Forestry Educator Kira Pollack on fall’s slow start and how weather shapes Minnesota’s autumn color show. We might be biased, but this was a fun interview to watch! www.fox9.com/video/1724751
Fall’s slow start: How weather shapes Minnesota’s autumn color show
Minnesota’s fall colors are running late this year — and the weather is to blame. U of M Extension forestry educator Kira Pollack explains how a warm September delayed the state’s peak color season…
www.fox9.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:38 PM
ICYMI: Extension Forestry Educator Kira Pollack on fall’s slow start and how weather shapes Minnesota’s autumn color show. We might be biased, but this was a fun interview to watch! www.fox9.com/video/1724751
USFS forest ecologist Dustin Bronson will be joining us next week to talk about ash-dominated wet forests and what strategies exist to keep these systems forested in the face of EAB. Register for the free webinar at sfec.cfans.umn.edu/events/web25...
Webinar: Post-Ash Silviculture | Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative
Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative
sfec.cfans.umn.edu
October 8, 2025 at 10:46 PM
USFS forest ecologist Dustin Bronson will be joining us next week to talk about ash-dominated wet forests and what strategies exist to keep these systems forested in the face of EAB. Register for the free webinar at sfec.cfans.umn.edu/events/web25...
Save the Date! The Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference returns March 13–14, 2026 for two days of hands-on learning for woodland stewards. You’ll find ideas, resources, and community to help your woods thrive. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/mfwc
October 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Save the Date! The Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference returns March 13–14, 2026 for two days of hands-on learning for woodland stewards. You’ll find ideas, resources, and community to help your woods thrive. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/mfwc
Did you know sassafras bark was originally used to flavor root beer? This near-native tree is projected to do well in our future climate, and we'd like to know if Sassafras is already here. Learn how you can help at tips.umn.edu/current/tree-trackers.
August 31, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Did you know sassafras bark was originally used to flavor root beer? This near-native tree is projected to do well in our future climate, and we'd like to know if Sassafras is already here. Learn how you can help at tips.umn.edu/current/tree-trackers.
Be on the look out for stiltgrass! This plant is not known to be in MN yet but is a species of concern.
🤳 If you find stiltgrass, please report it to EDDMapS.
🥾 Brush off your shoes/boots before entering or leaving a natural area.
💻 Visit tips.umn.edu for details on this and other projects.
🤳 If you find stiltgrass, please report it to EDDMapS.
🥾 Brush off your shoes/boots before entering or leaving a natural area.
💻 Visit tips.umn.edu for details on this and other projects.
August 29, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Be on the look out for stiltgrass! This plant is not known to be in MN yet but is a species of concern.
🤳 If you find stiltgrass, please report it to EDDMapS.
🥾 Brush off your shoes/boots before entering or leaving a natural area.
💻 Visit tips.umn.edu for details on this and other projects.
🤳 If you find stiltgrass, please report it to EDDMapS.
🥾 Brush off your shoes/boots before entering or leaving a natural area.
💻 Visit tips.umn.edu for details on this and other projects.
American sycamore are beloved trees — they are even included in the Indiana state song! This near-native species, with mottled white and green bark, is projected to do well in our future climate and we'd love to learn more about it. Learn how you can help: tips.umn.edu/current/tree-trackers.
August 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
American sycamore are beloved trees — they are even included in the Indiana state song! This near-native species, with mottled white and green bark, is projected to do well in our future climate and we'd love to learn more about it. Learn how you can help: tips.umn.edu/current/tree-trackers.
Could crabapple trees be escaping cultivation? It's happening in other places in the US, and you can help us find out if it's happening here. Learn how to identify Malus species and make reports at tips.umn.edu/current/malu....
August 26, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Could crabapple trees be escaping cultivation? It's happening in other places in the US, and you can help us find out if it's happening here. Learn how to identify Malus species and make reports at tips.umn.edu/current/malu....
If you notice Japanese beetles in your yard, look for tiny white eggs from the winsome fly on their backs—these flies are a biocontrol that help control beetle populations. Snap a photo and share it on iNaturalist to support ongoing research. Learn more: tips.umn.edu. Photo © Brett Ortler, CC BY.
July 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
If you notice Japanese beetles in your yard, look for tiny white eggs from the winsome fly on their backs—these flies are a biocontrol that help control beetle populations. Snap a photo and share it on iNaturalist to support ongoing research. Learn more: tips.umn.edu. Photo © Brett Ortler, CC BY.
One of our Extension foresters was in Bemidji recently for a meeting and took time to see some of the storm damage firsthand. The destruction is heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with the woodland owners, logging contractors, resource managers, and all who are facing the difficult work of recovery.
July 18, 2025 at 10:33 PM
One of our Extension foresters was in Bemidji recently for a meeting and took time to see some of the storm damage firsthand. The destruction is heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with the woodland owners, logging contractors, resource managers, and all who are facing the difficult work of recovery.
Minnesota Woodland Steward participants highly value the education they receive through the program: “I have a better understanding of my woodland, and can prioritize areas that need attention.”
The next cohort based in Itasca County opens August 11. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/mws2
The next cohort based in Itasca County opens August 11. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/mws2
July 18, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Minnesota Woodland Steward participants highly value the education they receive through the program: “I have a better understanding of my woodland, and can prioritize areas that need attention.”
The next cohort based in Itasca County opens August 11. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/mws2
The next cohort based in Itasca County opens August 11. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/mws2
The U's Department of Forest Resources is housed in Green Hall on the St. Paul campus. Learn how the home of one of the oldest forestry programs in the nation got its name in this 90 second episode of MN90: Taking Care of Trees exchange.prx.org/pieces/322031
July 10, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The U's Department of Forest Resources is housed in Green Hall on the St. Paul campus. Learn how the home of one of the oldest forestry programs in the nation got its name in this 90 second episode of MN90: Taking Care of Trees exchange.prx.org/pieces/322031
Your woods support woodpeckers, warblers, and a whole lot of other wildlife. Learn how to keep forest habitat healthy in the Minnesota Woodland Steward program. Register now for the new cohort launching August 11: z.umn.edu/MWSP
July 3, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Your woods support woodpeckers, warblers, and a whole lot of other wildlife. Learn how to keep forest habitat healthy in the Minnesota Woodland Steward program. Register now for the new cohort launching August 11: z.umn.edu/MWSP
Do you know the signs of emerald ash borer?
🪲 D-shaped exit holes
🪲 Canopy dieback
🪲 Bark splitting and woodpecker damage
Early detection is key—learn how to identify, report, and reduce the spread at extension.umn.edu/tree-and-shr...
#EABweek
🪲 D-shaped exit holes
🪲 Canopy dieback
🪲 Bark splitting and woodpecker damage
Early detection is key—learn how to identify, report, and reduce the spread at extension.umn.edu/tree-and-shr...
#EABweek
May 22, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Do you know the signs of emerald ash borer?
🪲 D-shaped exit holes
🪲 Canopy dieback
🪲 Bark splitting and woodpecker damage
Early detection is key—learn how to identify, report, and reduce the spread at extension.umn.edu/tree-and-shr...
#EABweek
🪲 D-shaped exit holes
🪲 Canopy dieback
🪲 Bark splitting and woodpecker damage
Early detection is key—learn how to identify, report, and reduce the spread at extension.umn.edu/tree-and-shr...
#EABweek
🚫 Don’t move firewood—it moves pests! 🪲
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is destroying #ashtrees across Minnesota, and moving firewood spreads it faster. Buy it where you burn it to protect our forests, parks, and neighborhoods.
Learn more during #EABweek: www.dontmovefirewood.org
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is destroying #ashtrees across Minnesota, and moving firewood spreads it faster. Buy it where you burn it to protect our forests, parks, and neighborhoods.
Learn more during #EABweek: www.dontmovefirewood.org
May 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
🚫 Don’t move firewood—it moves pests! 🪲
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is destroying #ashtrees across Minnesota, and moving firewood spreads it faster. Buy it where you burn it to protect our forests, parks, and neighborhoods.
Learn more during #EABweek: www.dontmovefirewood.org
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is destroying #ashtrees across Minnesota, and moving firewood spreads it faster. Buy it where you burn it to protect our forests, parks, and neighborhoods.
Learn more during #EABweek: www.dontmovefirewood.org
The MDA has enacted temporary emergency quarantines in areas of Coon Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Winona to restrict the movement of woody materials out of the affected areas. For more information and details on restricted items, visit the Spongy Moth Quarantine webpage: mda.state.mn.us/spongymothregs
May 15, 2025 at 9:03 PM
The MDA has enacted temporary emergency quarantines in areas of Coon Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Winona to restrict the movement of woody materials out of the affected areas. For more information and details on restricted items, visit the Spongy Moth Quarantine webpage: mda.state.mn.us/spongymothregs
Apples and crabapples, part of genus Malus, are cherished in Minnesota. But there are reports of Malus species appearing in natural areas. You can help track by reporting wild trees in EDDMapS. Learn more at tips.umn.edu/current/malu.... (Image: Apple flower by ryman56, iNaturalist.)
May 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Apples and crabapples, part of genus Malus, are cherished in Minnesota. But there are reports of Malus species appearing in natural areas. You can help track by reporting wild trees in EDDMapS. Learn more at tips.umn.edu/current/malu.... (Image: Apple flower by ryman56, iNaturalist.)
Red and silver maples are blooming now, and sightings in northwest MN will help scientists study potential habitat expansion as our climate changes. Add your observations in iNaturalist to help the Tree Trackers project! Learn more about the project at tips.umn.edu/current/tree....
May 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Red and silver maples are blooming now, and sightings in northwest MN will help scientists study potential habitat expansion as our climate changes. Add your observations in iNaturalist to help the Tree Trackers project! Learn more about the project at tips.umn.edu/current/tree....
Have you seen flowering dogwood in MN? This tree, native to the southeastern US, could thrive in MN's future climate, and we want to find out if it's already here. Learn how to ID at www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54777-C.... (Image by Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.)
May 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Have you seen flowering dogwood in MN? This tree, native to the southeastern US, could thrive in MN's future climate, and we want to find out if it's already here. Learn how to ID at www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54777-C.... (Image by Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.)
One of the first flowering trees to bloom in the spring, Callery pear is easy to identify by its unpleasant smell. Reporting Callery pear in iNaturalist can help with early detection efforts for this aggressive spreader. To take our short, free data collection training visit z.umn.edu/ParSciTIPS.
April 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
One of the first flowering trees to bloom in the spring, Callery pear is easy to identify by its unpleasant smell. Reporting Callery pear in iNaturalist can help with early detection efforts for this aggressive spreader. To take our short, free data collection training visit z.umn.edu/ParSciTIPS.
Let's wrap it up, friends! Warmer weather means that the risk of oak wilt is growing quickly for folks in Minnesota, so finish your pruning ASAP and seal tree wounds. Get more details on oak wilt risk and prevention on our website at z.umn.edu/oakwilt
April 8, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Let's wrap it up, friends! Warmer weather means that the risk of oak wilt is growing quickly for folks in Minnesota, so finish your pruning ASAP and seal tree wounds. Get more details on oak wilt risk and prevention on our website at z.umn.edu/oakwilt
Each year, the Minnesota DNR conducts both aerial and on-the-ground monitoring to assess the health of the state’s forests. Join us tomorrow, April 8 at 9:00 am for an update on the status and trends in forest health from all corners of the state. sfec.cfans.umn.edu/events/web25...
April 7, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Each year, the Minnesota DNR conducts both aerial and on-the-ground monitoring to assess the health of the state’s forests. Join us tomorrow, April 8 at 9:00 am for an update on the status and trends in forest health from all corners of the state. sfec.cfans.umn.edu/events/web25...