Dear Friends and Supporters,
In 2025, The Morton Arboretum led significant action that had a local, regional, national, and global impact in tree conservation, research, and community engagement.
More than ever, the Arboretum is recognized as one of the world’s most influential institutions focused on trees and their future. We are now a voting member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, giving us a voice in the organization that sets the agenda for work to save threatened species of all kinds. At the same time, the Arboretum’s Global Tree Conservation Program and partnerships to save threatened trees expanded from Mexico and Central America to Vietnam, Laos, and Korea.
Through much uncertainty around government funding over the past year, the Arboretum’s work has continued,and we have remained true to our mission and our values. Members of our leadership team have been strong advocates for continued support for trees and science in Springfield and Washington, D.C.
The Chicago Region Trees Initiative distributed $7.9 million in grant funds last year to 39 Illinois communities to help them care for their tree canopy and plant more trees where people need them most. The impact of the Arboretum’s community forestry work earned it awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Public Gardens Association. Additionally, ArbNet, the Arboretum’s global network of arboreta, grew substantially and certified an arboretum in a Chicago public park for the first time.
Community engagement and partnerships flourished. For example, a partnership with the DuPage Hispanic Alliance led to a successful and meaningful Celebración de los Árboles event in September. The Arboretum’s tailored accessibility programs also expanded, and more than 40,000 people were able to visit the Arboretum through a wide array of reduced-cost programs that made the experience of trees and nature available to a wider audience.
They were among more than one million guests who visited the Arboretum to enjoy the sweeping landscapes and trees at the heart of our mission. The connections between trees and the creatures who live among them were highlighted by a colorful new exhibition, Vivid Creatures. Our Arbor Day Plant sale and the Glass Pumpkin Patch broke records, and are among the year’s many popular events.
All these achievements were made possible by the contributions of our donors, trustees, volunteers, partners, and staff. Top workplace awards, for the fifth year in a row, testified to the Arboretum’s talented staff team.
In the year ahead, The Morton Arboretum will continue to build on the strong foundation of our mission and work toward our vision of a greener, healthier, more beautiful world where people and trees thrive together.
Thank you for all that you do for the future of trees.
Gratefully,
