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myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
@myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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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
A University of Minnesota Extension graphic features a smartphone scanning a wildflower alongside text asking "Do you use plant ID apps?" and providing a link to a survey.
December 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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...
Graphic for the MN Sustainable Foraging Task Force Listening Sessions, with a wildflower background and a Minnesota outline with plants. Text lists the purpose (gathering public input on foraging), a link to meeting details, and session dates in November and early December.
November 17, 2025 at 11:38 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
A group of people walk single file up a snowy trail through a leafless hardwood forest during winter. Most are wearing coats, hats, and gloves, and the atmosphere feels quiet and peaceful under the bare trees.
October 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.
A close-up of a sassafras tree's leaves. The leaves are a vibrant green, with three distinct shapes visible: a simple oval shape, a mitten shape with a single lobe, and a three-lobed shape. The leaves are attached to slender, reddish-brown branches. The background shows a blurry woodland environment with more leaves and tree trunks.
August 31, 2025 at 2:49 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.
A close-up, high-angle shot of green stiltgrass. The leaves are long and lance-shaped with a distinctive silvery-white stripe down the middle. The ground is visible in the background, covered with brown mulch, gravel, and some other small green plants.
August 29, 2025 at 2:49 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.
A high-angle close-up shot of a large, green, sycamore leaf with jagged edges and a spiky, green seed ball resting on it. Both the leaf and seed ball are placed on a weathered wooden surface with visible grain and knots.
August 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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....
A close-up outdoor shot of a person's hand with a light green long-sleeved shirt. The hand is holding a leafy branch of a crabapple tree. The tree is covered in small, red, round crabapples and vibrant green leaves. The background is a mix of green leaves and red fruit.
August 26, 2025 at 10:46 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.
A green and bronze metallic beetle with four small, white eggs on its back. The beetle is sitting on a leaf and the background is blurred.
July 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.
Storm-damaged forest with broken and tangled trees under an overcast sky.
July 18, 2025 at 10:33 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
A woman in a maroon shirt stands in a forest with a group of people. She is holding a tree core and showing it to the others.
July 18, 2025 at 9:40 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
Black and white photo of Samuel B. Green, a dapper gent with a bushy moustache and a bow tie.
July 10, 2025 at 4:34 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
A cute little woodpecker perched upside-down on a twig in front of a unfocused green background. Overlay text reads "Minnesota Woodland Steward Itasca, University of MInnesota Extension"
July 3, 2025 at 2:09 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
Close-up photo of an emerald ash borer beetle on a green leaf. The insect has a metallic green body with shiny red coloring visible beneath partially open wings. Ash tree trunk showing a vertical bark split with visible damage underneath, including a gallery visible beneath the crack. There are also small D-shaped exit holes—signs of emerald ash borer infestation. Ash trees in a park setting showing significant canopy thinning and branch dieback—common signs of emerald ash borer infestation. Ash tree trunk with clusters of epicormic shoots—dense sprouts growing from the base and trunk, indicating tree stress often caused by emerald ash borer damage.
May 22, 2025 at 2:05 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
🚫 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
Illustration with the message “Buy it where you burn it,” showing logs next to a campfire and a green beetle flying through the night sky. Forested mountains line the bottom, and the site name “Don’t Move Firewood.org” is prominently displayed, warning against transporting firewood that can spread invasive pests.
May 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
Close-up of a spongy moth caterpillar with a fuzzy body crawling across a chewed green leaf. The background is softly blurred to highlight the invasive caterpillar.
May 15, 2025 at 9:03 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.)
Cluster of white crabapple blossoms in full bloom, with delicate petals and pale yellow stamens, set against a leafy green backdrop and sunlit forest. The flowers are attached to a woody branch, with more blossoms and spring foliage visible throughout the scene.
May 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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....
Close-up of a red maple flower cluster with small, deep red blossoms and emerging samaras on thin red stalks. The top of the image has bold text reading “Red maple,” and a photo credit at the bottom reads, “photo by Carl Guyer via iNaturalist, CC0.” Close-up of a silver maple branch with clusters of paired winged seeds, or samaras, in shades of green and reddish-brown, hanging beneath bright green, deeply lobed leaves. The image features bold text at the top that reads “Silver maple” and a photo credit at the bottom: “photo by Ben Pritchard via iNaturalist, CC0.”
May 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.)
Close-up of blooming dogwood tree branches featuring clusters of white, four-petaled flowers with rounded tips and yellow-green centers, surrounded by small green leaves; the background is softly blurred with more blooms visible.
May 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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.
A hand gently holds a cluster of white Callery pear blossoms with green leaves, set against a blurred background of a suburban street lined with blooming trees. The flowers have delicate petals with dark stamens and small purple centers, signaling early spring.
April 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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
Illustration of two oak leaves with the words, "Oak wilt: caution. Avoid pruning oaks if possible and seal tree wounds quickly." There is a University of Minnesota Extension logo at the bottom.
April 8, 2025 at 6:57 PM
myminnesotawoods.bsky.social
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...
A maroon text box that reads "Minnesota Forest Health Update" sits in front of a background of green leaves with three caterpillars.
April 7, 2025 at 10:06 PM