Celebrating Wisconsin forest products

It's Forest Products Week in Wisconsin this week, October 15-22, 2023! Take time to celebrate the people who work in and care for our forests, the businesses that create forest products, and the many ways forest products contribute to our lives.

Tree Seeds: The Unsung Forest Product Hero

Sustainable forest products rely on a steady supply of baby trees, which themselves rely on a steady supply of viable tree seed. What does it take to go from pinecone to seedling? The process is intricate, interesting, and filled with teachable moments – and opportunity for your students to make money for your school while contributing to the forest products industry in our state!

Each seedling distributed and sold by the DNR starts with a cone, acorn, samara, or other form of seed harvested by seed collectors throughout the state. Each year the DNR publishes the Seed Collector’s Newsletter, specifying tree species, estimated purchasing goal, and price per bushel offered to collectors. For example, this year DNR pays $100 per bushel for Swamp White Oak acorns and $300 for Black Spruce pinecones. Roger Bohringer, Assistant Nursery Manager at the Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel, notes that availability of seed can sometimes be the limiting factor for seedling production, even when there is a strong demand from stakeholders. 

One such species with high demand but low supply is red pine. Recently, students at Amherst High School collected red pine cones from the Robert Lutz School Forest, in partnership with DNR Reforestation Specialist Jeremiah Auer. After a weather disturbance that led to complete replanting in 2004, trees in this single-species pine plantation were now the perfect size for cone harvest! While harvesting red pine seed, Amherst students looked on lower, outer branches that had turned green to purplish with red-brown tips. For collection guidelines and information about the imperative need for red pine seed, read this DNR Forestry press release. 

Seed collection events at your School Forest or other property with landowner consent are a great way to take learning outdoors and provide student groups like FFA and eco-clubs with a fundraiser that supports Wisconsin reforestation and the Trillion Trees Pledge. When discussing seed collection, volume and quantity is key! Fun fact: the State Nursery staff estimate about 5,000 Red Oak acorns and about 1,000 Black Walnut drupes are both equal to the volumetric measure of a bushel. To determine the volume of a bushel if you don’t have one, use a standard-sized apple box. Estimating projected seed collection revenue by volume and mass is a great real-world math activity for your students – and opportunity to appreciate seeds, nuts, cones, and acorns as a Wisconsin forest product with tangible value. 

After seeds are purchased from collectors and carefully prepared, most tree species’ seeds are mechanically planted each October in the outdoor nursery fields at Wilson State Nursery, similar to row crops like corn or soybeans. Some tree species with very fine, small seeds are planted in the spring. Those trees need a shallower planting depth more facilitative to the months after our Wisconsin winters. After one full growing season, or about a year from the date planted, seeds have turned into seedlings and are ready to be harvested, delivered, and replanted to become part of our state’s sustainable forestry economy. 

Have you collected tree seeds with your students? Email leaf@uwsp.edu to share with our LEAF K-12 forestry education outreach team!

Order Now: School Forest Seedlings Available!

One benefit of being a registered school forest is access to free seedlings from the DNR Nursery to plant on the school forest. Popular species of trees go fast. If you desire to plant a certain type of tree, get your order in early. Once they are gone, they are gone!

Follow these steps to place your school forest seedling order:

• Do your research first. Our school forest landscapes for planting are very diverse. Consult your management plan and DNR forester to find out which tree species are most suitable for your property. Available seedling types and descriptions can be found in the Nursery Seedling Catalog and DNR's tree and shrub inventory. The catalog does a great job explaining the growing requirements and provides pictures and a distribution map of each species.

• Once you have decided which species to plant at your school forest, fill out either the online form or the paper form. You will see the section 4. Free Order... choose "Registered School Forest." One thing to note: school forests do not need to order the "bulk" amount of trees. You may order less than the "minimum requirements" listed; however, there is a maximum of 5,000 trees and 3,000 shrubs school forests can receive. If you have any questions, please email Carey Skerven at Carey.Skerven@wisconsin.gov or call 715-424-3700 or contact your local WDNR forester.

Attention 4th grade teachers: The DNR will begin accepting Arbor Day free tree orders in mid-November. Please wait to order tree seedlings until then.

Professional Development

Riddle me this: Forest Products Edition

Last month we asked you to try having your students use riddles as a way to learn about different Wisconsin forest products.

WE asked you to use LEAF's Forest Products Checklist from our Track That Product lesson (a part of our Forest Products Kit), if you needed a starting point.

We've been having fun coming up with our own riddle and wanted to share a few with you if you still need some inspiration.

Note: Answers are at the bottom.

Email leaf@uwsp.edu to share your riddle!

Answers: 1. a violin, 2. a golf tee, 3. a candy wrapper, 4. plywood

Contact Us! 

Have questions or need additional resources? Contact us at leaf@uwsp.edu. We are here to support educators and students with forestry opportunities.

Published for October 2023