Podcast · Tech & Science

SilviCast

by Wisconsin Forestry Center and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources · English · Tech & Science

SilviCast is a podcast devoted to silviculture: the science, practice, and art of forestry. We explore current topics in forest management, highlight innovative practices, and interview practitioners and researchers aiming to solve challenges facing today’s managers. The show is tailored for forest

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 3 min
Latest: 1 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

S.7 Ep.10 - Growing Quality White Pine: Knot What You Think!

Eastern white pine is making a comeback, but as experienced field foresters know, much of this second-growth timber can be challenging from a quality standpoint. In this episode of SilviCast, we talk with Rene Germain, professor of forestry at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Sara Dreibelbis, Operations Director at Alliance for a Green Economy. They share insights from their research on assessing and managing eastern white pine, including practical approaches for improv...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S7 · E9 · 1 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
S.7 Ep.9 - Plant the Seed
In this episode of SilviCast, we talk with regeneration experts Mike Reinikainen, Roger Bohringer, and Tom Hill about direct seeding—a challenging and often misunderstood approach to reforestation that establishes forests by planting seeds rather than seedlings. Direct seeding can be an economical and effective way to establish new forests, but success depends on getting the details right. We explore seed rates and timing, site preparation, planting depth, and the challenges of seed predation...
S7 · E8 · 3 Aug 2026 · 42 min
S.7 Ep.8: Rethinking Black Locust
Black locust doesn't have many fans among foresters in North America. It's often criticized for growing crooked, spreading aggressively, and producing poor-quality stems. But is the problem really the tree, or is it how we've been growing it? In this episode, Zsolt Keserű, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Plantation Forestry and Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Forest Research Institute, University of Sopron, shares how decades of European research and silvicultural innovation have mad...
S7 · E7 · 1 Jul 2026 · 54 min
S.7 Ep.7: Beaviculture
Beavers are often seen as a nuisance, but what if they're actually some of nature's most effective forest managers? In this episode of SilviCast, we welcome renowned ecohydrologist Dr. Emily Fairfax to explore the surprising role of beavers as ecosystem engineers. Learn how beaver-created wetlands improve water storage, reduce wildfire risk, enhance biodiversity, store carbon, and influence forest management. Dr. Fairfax highlights practical strategies for addressing challenging beaver activi...
S7 · E6 · 1 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
S.7 Ep.6: The Fire Forest: Restoring the Long-leaf Pine
What tree begins life looking more like a tuft of grass, survives repeated fires for years on the forest floor, and then suddenly bolts toward the canopy in a remarkable growth spurt? The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is one of the most unique and ecologically important tree species in North America. Once dominating the coastal plains of the southeastern United States, longleaf pine forests have been reduced to less than 5% of their historic range. Yet these forests remain among the m...
S7 · E5 · 1 May 2026 · 58 min
S.7 Ep.5: The View from the Cab
Good silviculture isn’t just about knowing the science—it’s about building strong partnerships. One of the most critical relationships in forestry is the collaboration between foresters and loggers. Successfully marking a timber sale, for instance, means understanding not only the forest but also the equipment and capabilities that will bring the prescription to life. In this episode of SilviCast, we dive into the world of modern logging equipment used across eastern North America. Joined by ...
S7 · E4 · 1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
S.7 Ep.4: Down Home Carbon: Climate Solutions from Family Forests
Managing forests for carbon—and navigating emerging carbon markets—can feel overwhelming, especially for family forest owners managing smaller parcels. So how can landowners with just a couple forty-acre parcels participate in these opportunities? And what does carbon-enhanced silviculture actually look like at that scale? In this episode of SilviCast, we sit down with Brittany VanderWall, Lynn Riley, and Richard Campbell from the American Forest Foundation to break down the essentials of the...
S7 · E3 · 1 Mar 2026 · 53 min
S.7 Ep.3: The Old-Growth Project
Many of us in forestry remember the spotted owl controversy of the 1980s — a pivotal moment that put old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest in the national spotlight. But what’s less often told is how that same moment sparked a wave of old-growth research here in the Lake States, launching more than three decades of work to better understand how old-growth northern hardwood forests differ from those we actively manage. In this episode of SilviCast, we sit down with Julia Burton, As...
S7 · E2 · 1 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
S.7 Ep.2: The Restoration Forester
Foresters know degraded forests all too well. You’re out on a woods-walk with an enthusiastic landowner, but your eyes go straight to the poor growing stock, invasive plants, and eroded forest soils – the fingerprints of past degradation. Regardless, you set about the complex task of developing a prescription that will nudge this forest towards a brighter future. Foresters don’t always think of themselves as restorationists, but in many ways, the tools of silviculture are the tools of restora...
S7 · E1 · 1 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
S.7 Ep.1: Morticulture
A dead tree is not truly dead. As trees die, they become snags, downed logs, and eventually return to the soil as organic matter. Along this journey, they host a wide range of organisms and play essential roles in forest ecosystems. How foresters think about and manage dead trees can be just as important as how they manage living ones. In this episode of SilviCast, we explore the concept of morticulture - the intentional management of deadwood in forests. Join us for a conversation with Mark ...
S6 · E11 · 1 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
S.6 Ep.11: How To Love a Forest
Sometime the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. It is true of relationships, and it is true of forests. In this episode, we talk with author Ethan Tapper about his new book, How to Love a Forest. A Vermont Forester, Ethan dives deep with us into what it means to love a forest as a landowner and a forester, and to work with those who may not see the potential in restoring their forest. Send us Fan Mail
S6 · E10 · 7 Oct 2025 · 50 min
S.6 Ep.10: Uneven by Design
The legacy of the “cutover” has left much of the Lake States—and many other regions—with a dominance of even-aged forest stands. Today, both landowners and foresters increasingly consider converting these stands to uneven-aged management to achieve a range of ecological, economic, and aesthetic goals. However, the outcomes of these efforts—even after multiple stand entries—have sometimes fallen short of expectations. Significant silvicultural challenges remain in determining the most effectiv...
S6 · E9 · 2 Sep 2025 · 57 min
S.6 Ep.9: River Trees
Restoring and reforesting floodplain forests is no small feat—these ecosystems are as fascinating as they are complex. While they face many of the same disturbances as upland forests, bottomland ecosystems are uniquely shaped by water. Adding to this challenge of hydrology are the profound impacts of levies, agriculture, dams, and other disturbances. In this episode of SilviCast, we dive deep into the world of bottomland forest restoration with insights from national experts at the 2025 North...
S6 · E8 · 1 Aug 2025 · 1 hr
S.6 Ep.8: Bird's Eye View
Sometimes, a simple “silvicultural tweak” can make a big difference in achieving diverse forest management goals. The real challenge lies in knowing when—and how—to make those adjustments. To help with that, several states have created Forestry for the Birds guidebooks, offering practical strategies to enhance forest habitat for birds. In this episode of SilviCast, we’re joined by Christian Nelson, Lake States Coordinator for the Forest Stewards Guild, to discuss the newly released Forestry f...
S6 · E7 · 1 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
S.6 Ep.7: Black Gold
Eastern black walnut holds an almost legendary reputation as one of the most valuable timber species in central and eastern North America. A single, high-quality tree can fetch thousands of dollars—sometimes even influencing the outcome of an entire timber sale. With that level of interest, you’d think we’ve uncovered everything there is to know about this remarkable species. And while researchers and foresters have developed extensive knowledge around its silviculture and genetics, there’s s...
S6 · E6 · 1 Jun 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
S.6 Ep.6: Landscape Change: Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks
Foresters are pretty good at stand-level silviculture. But what if we want to make changes to forest vegetation at a much larger scale? Silviculture at scale to impact landscape-level change is much trickier, whether that’s aiming for a target age-class distribution or meeting the broad habitat needs of birds. Where do we even begin? In walks the concept of Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks, or the strategy of breaking up the landscape into manageable and biologically meaningful units w...
S6 · E5 · 1 May 2025 · 58 min
S.6 Ep.5: To Treat, Or Not To Treat, That Is the Question
Garlic mustard blooms, panic ensues! Many foresters in the eastern hardwood forests of North America can appreciate this sentiment as they see yet another invasive plant, garlic mustard, colonize their woodlands and forests. Maybe they just make note of it on the inventory or maybe they prescribe an aggressive treatment plan of pulling and herbicides. But maybe there is a different approach… time. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we talk with Dr. Bernd Blossey, Professor at Cornell Uni...
S6 · E4 · 7 Apr 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
S.6 Ep.4: My Buckthorn Chia Pet
Buckthorn has been the bane of many foresters and forest landowners throughout eastern North America. This long-lived, woody plant is capable of forming dense thickets, degrading native understory plant communities and impeding tree regeneration. While herbicide control measures can be effective, managers have struggled for long-term control of this prolific plant. Join for this episode of SilviCast as we explore ways to disrupt the buckthorn cycle with Dr. Mike Schuster, Researcher at the Mi...
S6 · E3 · 1 Mar 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
S.6 Ep.3: Line of Sight
It’s hard to turn around these days without seeing or reading something about UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Drones are becoming an increasingly important tool in many fields, including within the practice of silviculture. On this episode of SilviCast we explore the soaring use of drones for site preparation and release treatments. Join us for a conversation with Rick Hill, Regional Silviculturist and Reforestation Specialist with Michigan DNR and Kyle Schempp, Project Manager and Drone Pi...
S6 · E2 · 4 Feb 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
S.6 Ep.2: Toast Me Timbers!
Foresters are increasingly aware of the importance of prescribed fire as a silvicultural tool in the maintenance and management of fire-adapted forest ecosystems. At the same time concerns remain over the impact of those fires on the timber resource. Join us for a conversation with Mike Saunders, Professor of Silviculture in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University, as we explore the effects of prescribed fire on tree wounding and timber quality in the oak-h...
S6 · E1 · 10 Jan 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
S.6 Ep.1: Acadian Femelschlag
German foresters sometimes named silvicultural systems after the region where the treatment was developed and practiced. So it is with the Acadian femelschlag, a locally developed gap-based system designed to restore species diversity and structure to the mixedwood Acadian forests of Maine and eastern Canada. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we talk with Robert Seymour, Curtis Hutchins Professor Emeritus of Silviculture at the University of Maine, about what he has learned from over fo...
S5 · E12 · 1 Dec 2024 · 54 min
S.5 Ep.12: Practical Wisdom
Foresters need to make decisions every day, and sometimes difficult decisions as we attempt to understand and address the diverse needs of the land, the landowner, and others. Similar to marking a tree, these decisions often require us to walk all the way around to see an issue from all sides. Join us on this season 5 finale of SilviCast as we talk with Marianne Patinelli-Dubay, Environmental Philosophy Program Coordinator at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science ...
S5 · E11 · 15 Nov 2024 · 56 min
S.5 Ep.11: Ecological Memory
We’ve all seen it in the field… Aldo Leopold alluded to it… parts of a forest ecosystem are missing or changed. Now the forest doesn’t respond the same to silvicultural treatments that worked in the past. The forest is less predictable. In other words, the forest has lost memory, specifically ecological memory. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we explore the concept of ecological memory with Chris Webster, professor of quantitative ecology at Michigan Technological University. Learn ho...
S5 · E10 · 1 Oct 2024 · 57 min
S.5 Ep.10: Why Does My Paint Gun Hate Me?
The paint gun is a basic tool of the forestry trade. But what happens when we’re two forties into the woods and our paint gun goes down? This can put a major clog in our day. Maybe the problem with our paint gun is us? Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we talk with three experts in the field about Trecoder, Panama, and Nel-Spot paint guns. Ethan Tapper with Bear Island Forestry, John Freeman with Panama Forestry Equipment, and Ryan Holm with Nelson Paint give us tips to keep our paint g...
S5 · E9 · 1 Sep 2024 · 1 hr 9 min
S.5 Ep.9: Forest Farming: Planting the Seed
Most of us enjoying a little on-the-job foraging… some blackberries here, some morels there. But how often do we think about intentionally managing non-timber forest products? Forest farming is an agroforestry practice than involves the intentional stewardship of edible, medicinal, and decorative crops beneath a forest canopy. Join us as we discuss the integration of forest farming and silviculture with Eric Burkhart, Teaching Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Managem...
S5 · E8 · 1 Aug 2024 · 1 hr 15 min
S.5 Ep.8: Deer, Oh Deer!
If you are a forest practitioner in the eastern forests of North America (and maybe elsewhere) at one time or another you have likely been frustrated by white-tailed deer. Browse impacts on forest vegetation are significant and long-lasting, but those impacts are not the same everywhere making deer browse a challenging issue to both understand and address. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we seek to better understand how deer impact our forests and what clues the latest science holds f...
S5 · E7 · 1 Jul 2024 · 1 hr 6 min
S.5 Ep.7: Tsuga Science
It’s an all too familiar scenario to foresters…a new pest is introduced into another part of the range and slowly works its way to a forest near you. So it goes with the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) that was introduced into eastern North America over 70 years ago. HWA has not yet arrived in Wisconsin, but can we learn from the research and field experience of our colleagues in the east? Are there silvicultural approaches that can be used to make hemlock trees and stands more resilient, ...
S5 · E6 · 1 Jun 2024 · 1 hr 7 min
S.5 Ep.6: Green, Red, Dead
If foresters have a super-power, it might just be the power of observation. They notice change in the forest and correlate facts that would otherwise be isolated and missed. As a result, foresters have the unique ability to adapt and find management solutions in a changing environment. In this episode of SilviCast we will explore an example in Iowa of changing environmental conditions and the cumulative effects on white oak (Quercus alba), and one forester’s quest to find answers. Join our co...
S5 · E5 · 1 May 2024 · 1 hr 4 min
S.5 Ep.5: An Old-New Idea: Cluster Planting
It pays to be observant! Ogijewski, a forest scientist working in Russia in the early 1900s observed that oaks sometimes regenerated in small clusters where wild boars disturb the forest floor. From this simple observation he developed a reforestation method called cluster planting, the planting trees or seeds in tightly-spaced, small functional groups. The method caught on in Europe and is now practiced as a way to decrease planting costs and restore stand diversity. In this episode of...
S5 · E4 · 1 Apr 2024 · 56 min
S.5 Ep.4: Putting the B in BDq
It’s not worth saying anything unless it’s worth taking a long time to say, to paraphrase Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings. And sometimes you need to play the long game if you’re a research forester too. Long-term silvicultural studies are surprisingly rare, but extremely valuable. That is why a recent paper on six decades of selection cutting results got our attention. The Cutting Methods Study is a long-term investigation of cutting systems in second-growth northern hardwood stands on the...

About SilviCast

SilviCast is a English tech & science podcast from Wisconsin Forestry Center and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Wisconsin Forestry Center and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 3 min
Latest episode: 1 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1518316928

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