The village of Montgomery received Level II Accreditation from The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. This distinction recognizes the achievement of specific high-level standards of professional practices deemed necessary for arboreta and botanic gardens.

The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity and professionalism. The village of Montgomery is now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.

The village of Montgomery Arboretum is a collection of nearly 11,000 trees planted throughout the village’s parkways and public spaces. The collection serves the community by cleaning the air, capturing rainwater, reducing erosion, cooling neighborhoods and calming traffic noise on roadways. The trees are strategically arranged and cataloged on the village website. An interactive digital map allows residents to search their neighborhood to locate and recognize the more than 115 tree species.

“The Emerald Ash Borer infestation in the fall of 2010 and subsequent tree loss brought attention to the lack of tree diversity in parkways. Some neighborhoods were left devoid of trees after the necessary ash removals,” village of Montgomery Forestry Supervisor Ed Pfaff said in a news release on the award. “This sparked a long-term tree plan and planting campaign.”

Over the last decade, the village increased its diversity by 50%, from 77 species in 2013 to 115 in 2023. Each year, the village dedicates a native tree to the future site of the Arboretum Garden Park, located adjacent to the Montgomery Police Department along Route 30. The goal is to create a living catalog of the trees and native plantings in the village that are historically common to the region.

Also located at this site (11 Civic Center Ave.) is the village’s award-winning native basin, which features Illinois native plants, pollinators and essential plant infrastructure to assist with stormwater management and detention in the area.

The Village Forestry Division and Pizzo & Associates staff will offer a free educational tour of the Arboretum Garden Park and native basin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26. The public is welcome to join to learn more about the importance of the Village’s diverse tree collection and the management of the native areas throughout the community. This event is only one of several education outreach efforts to assist in training staff and residents in proper tree care and to promote the benefits of native plantings.

For information regarding the village’s Level II Accreditation or the public education events being offered, contact Pfaff at 630-896-9241, epfaff@montgomeryil.org, or on the village website montgomeryil.org.