Enrich Yourself – And Your Children – With The Morton Arboretum Certificate Programs

Experience The Joy Of Trees And Nature With Inspiring Classes

LISLE, IL (September 10, 2007) – Early in a new school year, children may be back in school – physically – but many are still on vacation mentally. To get their kids into a learning mode, parents can set an example and go back to school themselves, by attending interesting, fulfilling courses in certificate programs at The Morton Arboretum.

One of the most popular certificate programs is aimed at the home gardener who is ready to start fall planting, but should plot a strategy first.

“The goal of the Home Gardening Certificate Program is to gain knowledge on how to plan a garden, and then, how to install, and maintain it,” says Jan Little, Arboretum Assistant Director of Education.

Students, such as Joanne Gaspar of Naperville, rave about the Home Gardening Certificate Program. The Arboretum member has been an avid gardener since her childhood, growing her passion for gardening through this program.

“The program is very professional, but without having the pressure of traditional accredited classes in college.  It’s a little more relaxed than traditional college, but still imparts a lot of information at a high level,” Gaspar says.

Fall courses such as Garden Basics: Design, could save homeowners a great deal of money, as they learn how to plan their gardens effectively. Landscape Plants teaches homeowners what trees are recommended for our area, and even reveals the tricks of choosing sites that complement and enhance the trees’ beauty.

Other certificate programs are equally engaging and enriching.

For those with genuine curiosity about how the natural world works, The Naturalist Certificate is perfect. Why have certain plant and animal communities developed here, and how have they influenced our life?  One class this fall, Tree Identification and Ecology, gives students the skills to see a bit of a landscape’s history. Based on what’s growing in a particular area, for example, you might conclude that the area underwent a major disturbance 25 years ago.

“This certificate program provides a sense of ‘being at home in the world,’ and connecting with nature as you understand it better,” Little explains.

The Ornithology Certificate Program gives students the skills and knowledge to identify more than 100 birds in the Chicago region. Chicago is in two migration “flyways,” making our area a hot birding spot. In the class, Birds of Fall: Illinois, students learn our resident birds, birds that are migrating here for the winter, and those that are just passing through.

In the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program, students learn not only how to portray a plant artistically, but also, accurately.

A complete course list with dates, times and prices is available at www.mortonarb.org. Those with questions may call The Morton Arboretum at 630/719-2468.

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of more than 4,057 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier, Central Time. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and 9:30 to 4 p.m. (CST). Visit www.mortonarb.org or call 630/968-0074 to learn more.

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