Illinois

Join us with Trees Forever’s Central Iowa Field Coordinator, Gina Buelow, as we explore what mushrooms you can expect to find throughout the year here in the Midwest. We will cover important identification tools, common edible mushrooms, and resources you can use to make sure you are foraging safely!

Join us with Trees Forever’s Central Iowa Field Coordinator, Gina Buelow, as we talk about the biodiversity of reptiles and amphibians in Iowa and Illinois. Learn about venomous snakes, endangered turtles, and what frog songs you might hear this spring. This webinar will include special amphibious animal guests!

We’ve heard that prioritizing planting a diverse mix of native trees is important, but why? What makes a tree ‘native’? How much diversity do we need? Join Trees Forever field coordinator Nick McGrath to take a dive into these (rather loaded) questions, look at a snapshot of tree diversity in Iowa using real-time data and discuss the potential impact of our ever-changing climate. Nick will also share his tips, tricks and new tools to not only abide by Right Tree, Right Place but to build a beautiful, diverse landscape full of color and buzz.

Join Trees Forever Field Coordinator Emily Ehley on a virtual walk in the woods identifying and discussing spring ephemerals.

The Stewards of the Beautiful Land Webinar Series continues with a panel Q&A with stewardship professionals. Join as some of Iowa's land and water professionals share a little about their role in stewardship and answering any questions YOU may have.

Did you know that you can grow great trees in rock and gravel?  Join Gary Johnson with the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources to learn the ins and outs of growing trees in gravel beds.  Gary will give an overview of why to use gravel beds, and then some basics on how communities can use gravel beds to grow great trees for low cost.

Josh Balk is a watershed and source water coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He has spent the last 8 years working with a wide variety of landowners in the Dry Run Creek Watershed (Cedar Falls) to help implement conservation in both urban and rural areas. Josh is a Cedar Valley native and graduate from the University of Northern Iowa’s Earth Science program. Join Josh as he shares his experience implementing conservation-minded landscaping practices to improve water quality and quantity issues in northeast Iowa.

Pollinators are buzzing all around us and do the unseen “work” of pollination for the bulk of the food crops we enjoy. Join Trees Forever Director of Community Programs Jeff Jensen and longtime beekeeper Shiela Weldon for a fun noon hour focused on our flying and crawling little friends we collectively call “pollinators.” Shiela will be sharing her experiences tending to bees, as well as teaching beekeeping for almost a decade.

Insects pollinate, recycle nutrients, decompose organic matter, and are even a food source for humans across the globe. Of all the species of animals described by humans, 75% of them are classified as insects-- but what do you really know about them? Join Trees Forever field coordinator Gina Buelow, to learn about the diversity of insects essential to a thriving ecosystem. We will discuss the many roles of insects in our native habitats, from ambush predators to parasites.

Join Trees Forever staff for an exciting journey exploring our backyard forests as food banks and the endless possibilities for foraging your next meal. Director of Community Programs Jeff Jensen will get a little nutty talking about some nut and fruit options for landowners. Central Iowa Field Coordinator Gina Buelow will share some insights on the various mushrooms that can be grown at home. Eastern Iowa Field Coordinator Nick McGrath will share with us how he went about designing his backyard food forest. This will be an engaging "Forum" focused on options for your very own backyard.