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Chicago Region Trees Initiative

Oak Ecosystems Recovery Project

A collaborative effort aims to protect and preserve native oak trees in the Chicago region.

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Implementing the recommendations of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance’s Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan through regional collaboration is a key priority of The Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative.

Oak trees are a keystone species in the Chicago region, meaning that entire ecosystems depend on these trees for survival and habitat. Acorns provide food for wildlife, and the massive trunks and branches of oak trees provide shelter to countless species of birds and mammals.

Oak trees also help create healthier communities. They clean our air by removing air pollution, help purify drinking water, and keep us cooler in the summer. Oak trees can help reduce water pollution, reduce asthma rates, and improve the overall health of our communities.

Oaks Need Our Help

After nearly 200 years of land development in the Chicago region, only small patches of oak ecosystems remain. These isolated oak woodlands need extra protection from invasive plants and other threats.

Oak trees need space and lots of sunlight to grow and thrive. In today’s landscape, oak trees are being crowded out by competition from faster-growing trees and invasive species and are removed for urban development.

A number of diseases are spreading among oaks in the United States including oak wilt, sudden oak death, and bur oak blight. Most of the oaks in the Chicago region are old, making them especially vulnerable to disease and drought. There are few middle-aged oaks or oak seedlings, a problem known as oak regeneration failure.

Climate change disrupts weather patterns, including causing heavy spring storms and prolonged summer droughts. These conditions further weaken oaks and intensify other stresses and threats.

Oaks are struggling not only in Illinois but throughout the world. At least one-third of the world’s oak species are threatened with extinction. As oaks disappear, so do their ecosystems.

The Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative works locally with partners across the region to protect oak ecosystems and preserve these important keystone species.

Explore the projects and resources that support this goal.

Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan

Published in 2015, the Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan was developed by the Chicago Wilderness Alliance and the Oak Ecosystems Recovery Working Group.

The plan includes the history of oak ecosystems across the region, the importance of oaks ecologically and culturally, and threats to oaks. Crucially, it presents both a vision for the future and a collaborative approach to management strategies to restore oak ecosystems.

The vision and approach presented in the Oak Ecosystem Recovery Plan have guided years of successful restoration efforts and public engagement. In 2025, a revised plan will help guide the next decade of work.

The plan was funded by the USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in collaboration with the Lake County Forest Preserves and The Morton Arboretum.

Download the Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan.

Download an executive summary of the Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan.

Oak Connectivity Map

This interactive map highlights core areas and buffer spaces to be preserved in order to give oaks space to grow, along with corridors that could connect them.

Does your property lie in one of these priority areas? Contact the Chicago Region Trees Initiative to learn more about preserving oaks in your area.

Audio Tour

How You Can Help Oaks in the Chicago Region

If you have an oak tree on your property, help it thrive. Make sure it has adequate water and a nice layer of mulch over the root system. Be careful not to damage or compact the root system.

When you have the opportunity, plant an oak tree on your property. One oak tree will support native birds, insects, and other wildlife for decades.

Clear invasive species off your property. Invasive woody plants are one of the greatest threats to healthy oak ecosystems.

Learn more about oaks and oak ecosystems. Knowledge about oak trees and their significance will help you appreciate the role of oaks in our region and improve your tree care and management practices.

Volunteer as a woodland steward with your local forest preserve district. Discover and volunteer for oak-related events happening throughout the month of October, known in Illinois as OAKtober: Oak Awareness Month.

Take your volunteer efforts further and deepen your engagement with the region’s trees by becoming a CRTI Community Tree Champion or an Openlands TreeKeeper

Speak up in your community and advocate for oak ecosystem restoration to be a priority for your town and forest preserve.

If you’re interested in or working on creating an environmentally-friendly yard, corporate campus, or school, certify for Conservation@Home, Conservation@Work, or Conservation@School through the Conservation Foundation.

Best Management Practices: Oak Ecosystem Restoration, Regeneration, and Maintenance

This comprehensive management guide, part of the Oak Ecosystem Recovery Plan, was developed to assist landowners and residents to preserve and manage native oak woodlands, to conserve wildlife habitat, and to protect nature. Oak woodlands benefit all the plants, animals, and people that rely on oak ecosystems.

Best Management Practices

Best Management Practices: Oak Ecosystem Restoration, Regeneration, and Maintenance

Appendices

Appendix A: Site Inventory Template

Appendix B: Native Oak Trees

Appendix C: Native Shrubs

Appendix D: Native Forbs

Appendix E: Native Grasses

Appendix F: Native Sedges

Appendix G: Invasive Plant Species

Appendix H: Common Birds of Illinois

Appendix I: Common Mammals of Illinois

Appendix J; Common Reptiles and Amphibians of Illinois

Appendix K: Site Map Template

Appendix L: Photo Journal

Appendix M: Oak Pruning and Care

Appendix N: Common Oak Pests and Diseases

Appendix O: IL District Foresters and IDNR Contacts

Appendix P: Chicago Wilderness Burn Crew Training

Appendix Q: Conservation @Home

Appendix R: Conservation Foundation

Appendix S: Plant Healthcare Resources

Appendix T: Chicago Wilderness Alliance Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan

Appendix U: Critical Wildlife Species

Appendix V: General Best Management Practices for Pesticides

Appendix W: Tree Inventory Software

Appendix X: Oak Distribution Maps

Appendix Y: How to Grow Oak Seedlings

Appendix Z: Common Oaks of Illinois

Glossary

Glossary of Terms

Best Management Practices for Landowners Video Series

The following video presentations for landowners showcase the best management practices on how to properly care for oaks and other trees on your land.

“How to Care for Your Trees” with Kim Kalosky, Forest Preserves of Cook County

“Invasives in Your Yard: How to Deal With Them” with Sarah Michehl, Land Conservancy of McHenry County

“Key Issues for Oaks” with Matt Ueltzen, Lake County Forest Preserve District

“Prescribed Fire and Mowing” with Matt Ueltzen, Lake County Forest Preserve District

“Reduce Turf and Add Natives” with Sarah Michehl, Land Conservancy of McHenry County

“Stormwater Management on Private Property” with Gerardo Trujillo, Openlands