That is a wrap on the 2021 WAA TCC.  The event was held on September 17th and 18th at Erb Park in Appleton, WI.  We had a total of 33 volunteers, 24 male competitors and 2 female competitors over the 2 day event.  A special thank you to Dave Graham for performing the National Anthem…

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are perhaps the best known species of big game wildlife, especially in the state of Wisconsin. They are a native species and therefore belong on the landscape.  In addition, they have intrinsic value, such as providing a host of ecosystem services (seed dispersers), and being a valuable part of the food…

Is a tree climbing competition (TCC) just a competition—a structured and timed group of individual events for the registered climbers—or is it so much more than that? I have found that, here in Wisconsin as well as in other chapter competitions I have attended, the participants are friendly and passionate. Some come to hone their…

When it comes to street trees, many of us “older and wiser” folks remember driving down a residential street surrounded by a canopy of American elm trees. However, back in the late 60’s and early 70’s, arborists started removing thousands of dead elms, including my Detroit, Michigan street tree. This moment was a pivotal point…

Why should we care about bees? Bees provide significant benefits to us, including pollination of our fruit and vegetable plants. Honeybees make honey that is a delicacy in any kitchen. Introduced honeybees are responsible for pollinating over $10 billion worth of U.S. food crops each year. Wisconsin has over 400 species of native bees that…