Special Projects

The Forestry Development Council funded a chainsaw carving/ Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Kiosk in 2014. This artwork helped state fairgoers celebrate the 70th Birthday of Smokey Bear. The video above shows the work in progress. With EAB now found in Springfield in late 2014 the EAB Kiosk has been instrumental in helping visitors to the IDNR headquarters see the actual bug and larva specimen displayed in a vial among the educational information about EAB.

The IDNR Conservation World Famous and Historic Trees Arboretum features trees that stood as witness to some of our nation’s most significant historic events.  If trees could talk, the stories could be told of famed environmentalist and conservationist, politicians, writers, adventurers. And yes, there is even an Elvis Presley Bald cypress from his mansion.  The Arboretum includes a President’s Avenue with trees dedicated to George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.  The writers corner includes an Edger Allen Poe hackberry and Pearl S. Buck crabapple. There are cherry trees from Washington D.C.’s.  In the Sycamore Grove we celebrate Gifford Pinchot, John James Audubon, Betsy Ross, the War Stamp Act, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ellis Island. Last but not least is a sycamore who’s parent tree went on the Apollo XIV Moon Mission as seed for an experiment to see the effect of weightlessness on seed germination.   See Famous and Historic trees in Conservation World (Map).  New Interpretive signs are being installed for the IDNR Famous and Historic Trees Arboretum. Photo Credits.

In partnership with the city of Washington, Illinois and Trees Forever and others , IDNR Urban and Community Forestry Program provided technical outreach and assistance with conducting a tree inventory, organizing tree planting events and conducting an Illinois Strike Team tree risk evaluation around the perimeter of the tornado path. One special partnership with the IL State Nursery produced Seedlings from an historic tree planted by a friend of Abraham Lincoln. The Bur Oak seedlings were raised at the State Nursery and used in future reforestation projects in Washington as well as special tree planting events. Trees Forever produced a video to raise money for future tree planting events in Washington, IL.

Illinois Urban and Community Tree Programs: an update of the protection, care, and management of our urban forests by Sass, Hildebrandt, Key.

An EAB Doorhanger was created to help municipalities assist their citizens in identifying both ash trees and the EAB. Over 300,000 have been distributed throughout Illinois.

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