Wisconsin will celebrate one of its largest sectors during Forest Products Week, which runs October 18-24. A week of events and behind-the-scenes tours, Forest Products Week invites the public and school groups to learn about sustainable forest practices and to develop an appreciation for the valuable resources that Wisconsin forests provide.
The Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST), the Wisconsin Forestry Center (WFC), and LEAF-Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program, part of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, are partnering with industrial, governmental, and community organizations to showcase the value of Wisconsin’s forest products industry through tours, demonstrations, and hands-on activities across the state.
Events and tours throughout Wisconsin will give educators and students a chance to follow the journey of Wisconsin’s forests from sustainably managed woodlands to the products that build our homes, businesses, and communities. During Forest Products Week, these guided tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at each step of the forest products supply chain, showcasing the people, technology, and innovation behind one of the state’s most important renewable resources.
Wisconsin’s celebration of Forest Products Week 2026 includes:
- Kickoff event: The Power of Forest Products Trivia Night – The Forest Products Week kickoff event features a trivia night designed to explore how sustainable forestry powers our local economies, creates jobs, and keeps hometowns thriving. Alicia Cramer, Chief Operating Officer of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, will give opening remarks, followed by several rounds of trivia provided by the forest products industry, Monday, Oct. 19, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – Rhinelander Brewing Company, Rhinelander, WI.
- Forest and Industry Tours – From nurseries and forests to paper mills and sawmills, companies across the forest products industry are opening their doors to show how responsible forest management supports healthy forests for future generations while providing environmental, economic, and cultural benefits. Explore how trees are grown, sustainably harvested, transformed into wood products, and crafted into the renewable materials we rely on every day, Monday, October 19 – Thursday, Oct. 23 – Companies and forests across the state
- Wisconsin’s Forests in Action: Science, Engineering, and Innovation – As the culmination of Forest Products Week, UW-Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources will be hosting a morning of hands-on learning opportunities for high school students in Wisconsin at the Boston School Forest!, Friday, Oct. 23, 8:30 a.m. – noon – Boston School Forest, Plover, WI.
- Breakfast at the Sawmill – Enjoy a free pancake breakfast and open house, sponsored by the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, featuring hands-on demonstrations from all NTC Wood Labs, including the only commercial-scale training sawmill in the United States, Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. – noon – Northcentral Technical College, Antigo campus, Antigo, WI
To learn more about Wisconsin Forest Products Week, its organizers and available activities, visit https://www.uwsp.edu/wisconsinforestproducts.
Partners include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Office of Rural Prosperity, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, Menominee Tribal Enterprises, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, Wisconsin County Forests Association, Lake States Lumber Association, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension Forestry, and Northcentral Technical College.
National Forest Products Week, observed since 1960, highlights the economic and environmental importance of forests and forest-based products. In Wisconsin, forest products account for 11% of manufacturing jobs, contribute $42 billion to the state economy, and support 126,000 jobs.