The Morton Arb

Our Impact

Community Trees Program

The Community Trees Program is provided by The Morton Arboretum as an outreach effort to communityTrees assist communities, public and private landowners, land managers and those groups interested in trees, to effectively manage and care for our urban and community forest - from nature preserves to individual trees.  The regional trees initiative, a strategy to improve the vitality and sustainability of the region's trees, is an important part of the work underway by the Community Trees Program.  This initiative is building on the findings from the regional tree census produced in cooperation with the U.S.D.A Forest Service.

What is the Urban and Community Forest?  Urban and Community Forestry is the holistic approach to manage individual trees as forest resources which form our "green infrastructure".  Trees and their ecosystems are green infrastructure which collectively provide important services and benefits - physiological, sociological, economic, environmental and aesthetic.

The Community Trees Program was established in 2002 with support from the Grace Bersted Foundation. The Community Trees Program is staffed by a Community Trees Program Manager, whose job is to facilitate effective tree stewardship with civic leaders, public officials, volunteers, and green industry professionals; a Project Coordinator and a Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Coordinator.

Here are just a few of the services provided to communities by the Community Trees Program:

  • Assistance in the development of tree planting and management programs
  • Assistance in the development of tree stewardship programs
  • Access to and information on financial resources that provide support for trees
  • Education programs for development of strong programs for trees
  • Opportunities for collaboration and partnering in suport of trees
  • Assistance to achieve or advance in the Tree City USA Program
  • Assistance with Arbor Day celebration


Quarterly Newsletter
September, 2012 Newsletter
December, 2012 Newsletter 
March, 2013 Newsletter 


Webinar Recordings
Contact us and we will share the zipped file with you

"Enhancing Investment in Municipal Trees", December 5, 2012
"The Latest And Greatest in Ordnances", January 22, 2013

Invasive species Awareness

"Where Have All the Ashes Gone?". Andrea Dierich, Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project Coordinator at The Morton Arboretum talks about Emerald Ash Borer. (8:24 minutes)

EAB Information, including our Municipal EAB Guide and Resident EAB Guide

Thousand Cankers Disease informational video


For more information about the Community Trees Program, contact 630-719-2425.