Take A Walk On The Wilder Side At The Morton Arboretum

Special Tours Offer New Insights into the Arboretum’s Treasures

LISLE, IL (June 5, 2007) – Get out of your car, off the beaten path and into the woods for a new look at the sites, sounds, smells, and feel of The Morton Arboretum.

Delight in the fruit of nature’s vines at the “Savor the Summer Wine Dinner” on Sunday, June 10, at 6 p.m. Take a guided tram tour – with drinks – of the Arboretum tree collections. Then enjoy scrumptious food and wine pairings in the Ginkgo Room, prepared by the Arboretum’s executive chef and the winemaker for Mendocino County’s Bonterra Vineyards. Tickets are $70 ($60 for Arboretum members), is open to those age 21 and older, and space is limited. Reservations are required; call 630-725-2066.

Bring the whole family to enjoy a soft palette of early summer colors at the beautiful Schulenberg Prairie. The free, special-focus walk “Prairie Pastels,” is from 2 to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and weekends in June. Feel the warm sun on your face as the grasses and wildflowers rustle from a gentle breeze. Learn about the many interesting native summer plants that grow in the 100-acre prairie and search for animals that live there.

Come by on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at noon for the free guided walk “Plant Yourself at The Morton Arboretum.” Get tips on how to enhance your own exploration of our 1,700 acres. This 45-minute tour – perfect for new visitors and members – lets you see what goes on in research, education and collections programs and how what we do here relates to you, your family and your community.

The Nature Discovery Classes offer three great opportunities to delve into the Arboretum’s wonders:

If voices echoed through the landscape, they would tell of Prehistoric Indians who lived on the land before the arrival of homesteaders, then farmers flourished for a while and later, Joy Morton arrived to establish the Arboretum. Join us for “Voices of The Morton Arboretum” to seek out the evidence of these people’s lives, and visiting little-known sites: June 20 and 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $18 ($14 for Arboretum members).

Take a leisurely walk to enjoy the simple pleasures of a summer night in “Twilight Trails” on June 14. Listen for the subtle sounds of insects and birds and inhale the sweet scents of flowers as you take a hike on the West Side. The walk takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. and costs $18 ($14 for Arboretum members).

Lock in your Monday nights for “Summer Synopsis” – a review of 100 native trees, shrubs and perennials in the Arboretum’s woodlands, wetlands, prairie, meadows and plant collections. Each Monday evening, from June 18 through July 16, enjoy a summer journey though familiar and new botanical territory. This class meets from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. and the fee is $65 ($50 for Arboretum members).

All three of these Nature Discovery Class tours required advance registration; please call 630-719-2486 or visit www.mortonarb.org.

Acorn Express open-air tram guided tours run at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. every day throughout the month! These hour-long tours travel throughout the tree collections, and you’ll also hear about the history of the Arboretum. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 3 – 17.

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of 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.

Media Contacts:    Gina Tedesco, 630-725-2103 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Marty Cusack, 630-719-5768 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it