Arbor Advocates: Join us the effort!
The Arbor Advocates are a citizen advisory group dedicated to helping the Community Park District in its mission to protect, preserve, and improve our tree population in La Grange Park. For more information, or to find out how you can help us help trees, email arboradvocates@communityparkdistrict.org.
2025 Meeting Schedule: Monday March 10th, 2025 (6:00-6:30PM)
Monday June 9th, 2025 (6:00-6:30PM)
Monday September 8th, 2025 (6:00-6:30PM)
Monday December 8th, 2025 (5:30-6:00PM)
Tree Management Plan Action Items
Spring
of 2025:
·
2 new
trees were planted at Hanesworth Park
·
At our
Arbor Day Celebration 2 native trees were planted at 1150 Meadowcrest Rd
·
Our 4
new trees were possible due to a grant by the Chicago Regional Tree Initiative
·
Great
Lakes Urban Forestry was contracted to update the park district’s Tree
Management Plan with input from the CPD staff and the district’s community
partners
·
Superintendent
of Parks Sara Earhart was invited to teach at the CRTI Urban Forestry Basic
Training in Cicero, IL
·
Winkler
Tree pruned 2 large trees near the Memorial Park Amphitheatre flagpole to allow
clearance for our flags
Winter
of 2024/2025:
·
CPD was
awarded a CRTI grant to plant 4 trees in Spring 2025
·
Homer
Tree was contracted to prune all trees in Stone Monroe and Beach Oak Parks.
·
CPD
Staff pruned all trees planted in 2024 for structure and health
·
Staff
attended the Urban and Community Forestry Forum “Confirm before Diagnosis Jump
through Hoops, Not to Conclusions” which covered tree pest and disease
identification topics
·
Superintendent
of Parks Sara Earhart presented at the 2025 IPRA Soaring to New Heights
Conference on the subject of “Best Practices in Tree Planting”
Fall of
2024:
- Fall Arbor
Advocates Volunteer Planting Day installed 2 trees in Memorial Park near
La Grange Rd thanks to a grant from the Chicago Regional Tree Initiative
- 4 new trees were
planted by staff in Beach Oak Park thanks to a grant from the Chicago
Regional Tree Initiative
- Park District
staff removed one dying tree at Beach Oak Park and replaced with a new
tree
- Homer Tree removed
5 stumps in Hanesworth Park
- Winkler Tree
removed a large storm damaged limb hanging over the Robinhood Tennis
Courts
- Our Superintendent
of Parks Sara Earhart spoke at the Chicago Regional Tree Initiative “Urban
Forestry Basic Training”, and at the Illinois Arborist Association Fall
“Arborist Exam Prep Course” classes
- CPD hosted
Nazareth Academy for a Volunteer Day in Memorial Park. Students mulched
trees around the park.
Spring
of 2024:
- A Total of 34
trees were planted this spring!
- At our Arbor Day
Celebration April 26th, 2 native trees and 1 memorial tree were planted in
Robinhood Park
- For our May 16th
Volunteer planting day, 10 native trees were planted in Memorial Park
thanks to a grant from the Chicago Regional Tree Initiative
- 10 new trees were
planted in Robinhood park thanks to a grant from Trees Forever
- 1 replacement tree
was planted in Memorial Park amphitheater
- The Chicago
Regional Tree Initiative generously donated 10 additional trees, which
were planted in Stone Monroe, Robinhood and Memorial Parks
- Parks staff
removed one dead tree at Memorial and one dead tree at Hanesworth Park
- Homer Tree removed
two hazardous trees at Memorial Park
- Great Lakes Urban
Forestry is scheduled to conduct appraisal of trees at Yena Park
- Trees planted in
fall 2023 and spring 2024 were appropriately wrapped to protect them from
17 year cicada emergence.
Winter
of 2023/2024:
- CPD was awarded a
Chicago Regional Tree Initiative grant to plant 10 native trees in
Memorial Park. A volunteer day was scheduled to plant those trees.
- Homer Tree was
contracted to prune all trees in Robinhood Park.
- Homer tree was
contracted to remove 1 tree was in Robinhood and 1 tree in Yena. All trees
removed had posed a hazard to park patrons because of their poor
condition.
- CPD staff removed
dead hanging branches from trees in Yena.
- CPD staff removed
invasive and weed trees from the eastern fence line at Robinhood park and
stump treated to prevent resprouts.
Fall of
2023:
- CPD hired new
Superintendent of Parks Sara Earhart, an ISA Certified Arborist.
- 10 trees planted.
1 at Stone Monroe, 2 at Yena, 3 at Robinhood, 4 at Memorial.
- CPD staff removed
3 trees removed in Hanesworth, 1 tree in Yena. All trees removed had posed
a hazard to park patrons because of their poor condition.
- Illinois Arborist
Association was contracted to teach CPD staff a Municipal Arborist
Training Course on Chainsaw Safety, Operation and Maintenance and Tree
Pruning.
- CPD staff attended
the annual Illinois Arborist Association tradeshow and classes.
Community Park District Urban Forestry Management Plan
An urban forest management plan is an action plan; it gives public works agencies detailed information, recommendations, and resources needed to effectively and proactively manage public trees.
The Community Park District of La Grange Park was awarded a $8,265 grant to complete tree inventories and develop a management plan for its urban forest.
The funds were provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Urban and Community Forestry Core Grant Program and administered by The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI).
The Community Park District of La Grange Park Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the plan at the April 11, 2022 board meeting.