Chicago’s Morton Arboretum

Morton Arboretum, located in Lisle, Illinois, consists of 1,700 acres of trees, flowers, lakes, and prairie paths. This is a place where you can lose yourself in peaceful contemplation. Waling in the wood, you forget about the day-to-day business that occurs just outside the gates of teh grounds. Morton Arboretum is a peaceful and relaxing habitat where visitors enjoy the beauty and calm of nature. Morton Arboretum contains one of the most extensive collections of woody plants in North America. On the grounds you can find over 222,000 live plants arranged in five collection groups – taxonomic (types of trees), geographic (world location), special habitats (requiring special growing conditions), horticultural, and rare and endangered plant collections. The collections are arranged in incredible landscape settings for both pleasure and educational purposes. What would the Arboretum, full of trees and woodlands, be without its wildlife. The grounds host nearly 200 species of birds in the majestic trees. Additionally, visitors will likely see the deer population along the 16 miles of hiking trails. When you visit us during the Summit, the grounds will be exploding with the green of the magnificent trees and multi-colored flowers and plants throughout the grounds. The weather conditions will be perfect for a long leisurely walk on the prairie paths with your fellow Summit attendees. Or, a quiet introspective stroll alone to glimpse the birds that will be returning to our area. The Arboretum also provides for those who like to drive through the grounds to get an overview of the spectacular trees and maybe park at one of the stops to grab a bit to eat either at a picnic table or in your car. When you visit our area, make sure you schedule a visit to Morton Arboretum. It is the perfect place to spend some time in the natural landscape of Illinois. For additional details on what Morton Arboretum has to offer, visit their website at http://www.mortonarb.org/. Elizabeth Burke is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and currently serves as the President of the STC Chicago chapter.