The Morton Arb

Our Impact

Data Collection

Arboretum Tree Census Crews Canoe to find a data plot in a riverIn summer 2010, teams from The Morton Arboretum looked at all kinds of land—residential, commercial, public, and private—regardless of how many trees grow there. Depending on the terrain, they traveled by car, foot, and even canoe!

We wanted to learn how much of our land is covered by the urban forest canopy. Arboretum field assistants studied 1,400 randomly selected plots in Cook, Du Page, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties to learn:

  • How many trees live in our communities
  • The sizes and kinds of trees we have
  • Information about the landscape and man-made features on the plot


Open fields, forest preserves, parking lots, front lawns, and work sites...here's a sample of the many different plots Tree Census crews took data from in Summer 2010.

Are you a municipality or school interested in doing your own inventory? Contact the Community Trees Program for more information: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 630-725-2119.