Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, will leverage two of its flagship initiatives—the Chicago Region Trees Initiative and ArbNet—to address needs exacerbated by COVID-19 in underserved Chicago-area communities. The project will build relationships with local communities to improve the quality of and access to urban trees, which are linked to reducing the negative impacts of the pandemic. Working in collaboration with partners in the targeted communities, the arboretum will identify locations in need of new trees; organize tree plantings; and work to establish new and accessible public arboreta. The arboretum will hire a community outreach assistant to engage individuals in priority communities, build relationships, support tree plantings, and develop new outreach resources for the program. Communities will benefit from a healthy tree canopy, which reduces air pollution and helps improve mental health.