MyMinnesotaWoods

10/08/2026

Earn your Minnesota Tree Inspector Certification, and get training for a career in sustainable land management! This program is targeted to young people 16-24, but has capacity for anyone interested in trees, turf, and urban ag jobs.

Students will be provided with lunch and transportation support in the form of a bus card, a $50 gas card or a $50 Lyft gift card. Students will also be provided with work boots, gloves and a water bottle.

To apply for this free training, scan the QR code or visit https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=eASc2-U5IEW3OvcS7Cb_Vs7ibH0tyhBJv7PSBOWoKopUMzM2SFFOQU9FR1IyNkJPMldHSUJFT1g5My4u&origin=QRCode.

🌱 Green Careers Training: Jobs with Trees, Turf & Plants in Cities!
Explore career opportunities in urban green careers. Transportation and lunch provided!

📅 Oct. 10–16, 2026
🕙 10 AM–3 PM
📍 RATC, 1200 Plymouth Ave. N, Minneapolis
📌 Register by scanning the QR code on the flyer.

Questions? Contact [email protected]
Please share with anyone who may be interested!

10/02/2026

It's the moment you've been waiting for: the answers to the great hickory quiz of 2026! Take a look and let us know how your guesses stacked up to the answers!

09/28/2026

Think you know your hickory nuts? Take a look at these specimens and see how many species you can identify. Put your guesses in the comments — we’ll reveal the answers in a few days.

Minnesota has two native hickories, bitternut and shagbark. Researchers are also looking for observations of four other hickories that may be suited to Minnesota’s future climate: pignut, pecan, black and mockernut.

Not completely confident in your ID? That’s OK! Good photos of nuts, leaves, buds and bark can help iNaturalist suggest an identification.

Try the challenge first, then use our hickory identification guide to check your ID. https://z.umn.edu/oak-hickory-id

09/25/2026

We found one! This summer, the first blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) was confirmed in Minnesota. Now we want to know: Are there more?

Fall may give you a clue. Blackgum has simple leaves that can turn a striking red, along with small fruits eaten by birds. It’s one of the near-native trees researchers are watching as they study which species may be suited to Minnesota’s future climate.

If you think you’ve found blackgum in Minnesota, make an observation in iNaturalist. Your observation can help the Tree Trackers project build a better picture of where these trees are already growing.

Photo © Tim Wasserman, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

Get identification tips and find the Tree Trackers project: https://z.umn.edu/tree-trackers

09/25/2026

What trees might be a good fit for Minnesota as our climate changes? Join us in St. James on Tuesday, Sept. 29, for a field tour exploring native and near-native trees that may be suited to future growing conditions in Minnesota. We’ll look at trees in the field and talk about how climate and other stressors affect tree selection, care and monitoring across urban and rural landscapes.

Learn more and register through the climate-ready trees project page: https://trees.umn.edu/research/climate-ready-trees

09/15/2026

Youth and young adults ages 16 - 24 are invited to enter a training and paid work experience in sustainability!

Our friends at the Urban Forest Outreach and Research (UFOR) Lab are teaming up with EMERGE Community Development and the Turfgrass Science Program to offer one week of training from Sept. 21st to Sept. 25th in Minneapolis.

Participants will learn about urban gardening, tree and plant care, plant biology and more with opportunities in the field and in a classroom setting. Participants also have the opportunity to receive their Minnesota Tree Inspector Certification during the training.

Eligibility:
This career readiness program serves youth ages 16 - 24, with interest in Agriculture/Forestry. The program requires in-person participation from Sept. 21st - Sept. 25th from 10am - 3 pm.

Applicants who fill out the form will get a follow up email from Alan Stovall ([email protected]) with EMERGE Community Development on their enrollment status and next steps. Find the form and register at https://forms.gle/rekFswnYnXZQNnnZA

09/09/2026

Have you seen American persimmon growing in Minnesota?

Also known as common persimmon, this tree is native to the central and eastern U.S. and is hardy to zones 4-9. It produces delicious fruit in the fall, which provides food for wildlife as well as humans. A key feature of this species is the lack of terminal buds on the branches, since the tree never goes dormant. This species also has checkerboard-like bark that can be used for identification.

Common persimmon is projected to do well in our future climate, and the Tree Trackers project is using iNaturalist observations to improve data on this species' distribution. For more information on the Tree Trackers project visit z.umn.edu/tree-trackers.

09/01/2026

Look out for this grass that can overtake a forest floor. Stiltgrass has never been spotted in Minnesota, but is of high concern. Stiltgrass grows up to three feet tall and in dense, thick mats. It has alternate leaves that oftentimes has a reflective, silvery midvein, which distinguishes it from other lookalikes.

Early detection of stiltgrass is vital, so please report any sightings to EDDMapS. And always remember to practice preventing the spread of invasive species by brushing off your shoes before entering or leaving a natural area. For more information, visit https://z.umn.edu/TIPS-Stiltgrass.

08/31/2026

Angelica tree (Aralia elata) is a non-native shrub / small tree with the largest compound leaves of any temperate tree in North America. There are noticeable spikes on the trunk, branches and leaves. Cultivars commonly have white and green variegated leaves. Report all sightings of Angelica tree to EDDMapS to help researchers and policy makers better understand its distribution in Minnesota. Get tips for identification and learn how to report this species in EDDMapS at https://tips.umn.edu/angelica-tree.

08/28/2026

Late summer is a good time to spot porcelain berry, an invasive woody vine with berries that can range from yellow and purple to bright blue. Its leaves are highly variable in shape, which can make identification tricky.

Porcelain berry is a restricted noxious w**d in Minnesota. It can grow rapidly over trees and shrubs, blocking sunlight and crowding out native vegetation. Although it is widespread farther east, every Minnesota observation can help natural resource managers better understand where it is spreading.

If you think you’ve found porcelain berry, take photos and report your observation to EDDMapS.

Learn how to identify and report it: z.umn.edu/TIPS-PorcelainBerry

Images © Mark Eanes via iNaturalist, some rights reserved (CC-BY); James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, via Bugwood; Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, via Bugwood.