Madison is known as a Tree City for its efforts to care for urban trees. Keeping a diverse mix of healthy trees in the city requires constantly planting new ones every year as well as maintaining those planted years ago. City trees in Madison have to be able to withstand freezing winters, sidewalk salt, power lines above, concrete all around, and the occasional car crashing into them. Not to mention insect pests like Emerald Ash Borer.  

For all trees put up with in our urban environment, the benefits they deliver are enumerable: shade, shelter, beauty, fresh oxygen, homes for animals, planet cooling.

But who speaks for those trees? City Forester Ian Brown does. City forestry staff advise on what and where trees get planted and how we, as a city, can care for some of the city’s oldest residents.

Today, we’re peeking behind the curtain of Madison’s City Forestry department. 

Also on the show: 

🌳 Madison’s Tree Inventory Starts Today! 

🍂 Know where to go to peep beautiful fall leaves with Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report

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