Summary
Property: 150 acres, with 80 acres of established woodlands from former pasture
Location: Ontario, Wisconsin in Monroe County
Number of trees planted: 8,900 (over the last 5 years)
Tree Planting Details: Mixed hardwoods and conifers
Trees with TREE PRO tree shelters: 600

"I try to put the Tree Pro Miracle Tubes on trees where I see the most damage," says Bill Johnson, who purchased an old farmstead five years ago and embarked on an aggressive tree planting program the following year. He's planted as many as 4,000 tree seedlings in one year, though he usually plants about 1,500 trees a year. To support his reforestation efforts and create a cash flow from the property, he's tapped the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the DNR.

"I've seen remarkable seedling growth with the Tree Pro Miracle Tubes," admits Johnson, a researcher and educator by background. "I'm sixty-one years old, and I'd like to see some of the trees get tall within the next twenty five years." Leaving a visible legacy becomes more likely with the tree shelters on his deciduous trees, shelters that foster more rapid tree growth height and improve their chances for survival. "Some of my tree seedlings grew five feet in just one year when they were surrounded by a Tree Pro Miracle Tube. The same species of trees that did not have a Miracle Tube around them grew only five to ten inches in three years."

"I've used the 2-foot Tree Pro Shrub Protectors on my shrub plantings as well," continues Johnson. "They work great, at least until the branches start emerging from the Shrub Protectors and the deer can get at them. But that first bit of shrub development is important. I've also used some tree mats, mowing and herbicides to deal with vegetation control."

"You need a strategy for controlling wildlife," advises Johnson. "The cost of the reforestation aides need to be included in as part of your investment in reforestation. You can't just buy and plant trees without planning for their protection." He purchases his tree and shrub shelters from Southwest Badger RC&D because of the relationship he has built with the non-profit organization, and the effectiveness of their products. "My relationship with Southwest Badger RC&D means a lot to me."

Summary
Property: 260 acres, End-O-Way Farm (retired dairy farm)
Location: Stitzer, Wisconsin, between Lancaster and Fennimore
Number of trees planted: 5,000 (over 5 years)
Tree Planting Details: Mixed hardwoods and conifers
Trees with TREE PRO tree shelters: 800

"My overall goal is to regenerate black walnut and oak," says landowner Dan Bohlin, who took over the family farm in 1998 and has been enthusiastically planting trees ever since. "I planted trees on 6 acres of corn stubble, 12 acres of land as a part of a riparian (stream) buffer, and 5 acres in old pasture." The pasture planting involved 250 red oak and 250 white oak, with each seedling protected with a Tree Pro Miracle Tube tree shelter.

"I started out with shorter shelters, but ended up with the 5 foot Tree Pro Miracle Tube since the deer can get at the leader branch coming out of the 4 foot or smaller tubes," shares Bohlin. "They work well against rabbits, but I check every fall for mice that sometimes chew a hole around the shelter fastener and try to nest inside." If left unchecked, cautions Bohlin, mice can nest in the tube and gnaw around the stem and girdle it, killing off the stem and what's above it. He checks his trees in the late fall. "The vented shelters may also help keep the wasps and hornets out, as well as preventing the trees from overheating inside which could lead to die back."

"If done right, there will be an excellent stand of timber for future generations, a legacy for my kids," adds Bohlin confidently. "There's a major problem with the lack of good regeneration of different oak trees. Without the oaks, we'll lose a lot of important habitat for wildlife." Besides adding shelters to newly planted trees in his pastures and cropland, Bohlin has selectively added some shelters around naturally regenerated black walnut and oak to give them a better chance by defending against deer browse -- a significant issue on his property.

The cost of the shelters don't deter Bohlin. "First, I always look for cost sharing opportunities," he explains. Some of his tree plantings have qualified for cost-sharing from both the Continuous sign-up Conservation Reserve Program (Continuous CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). "Second, buying the tubes is a conservation expense that I can claim on the farm's income taxes for the portion of tree tube expenses not reimbursed. Finally, tree tubes are a cost of producing a quality woodlot. By quality, I mean different species of oak, shagbark hickory and black walnut. Quality black walnut timber (and veneer) fetches an excellent price relative to other tree species. Getting a good walnut tree started justifies the initial expense of tree shelters."