Urban & Community Forestry
In lieu of Illinois' expansive 35.6 million-acre landscape (55,584 square miles), nearly 87 percent of Illinoisans reside in urban areas. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that community trees and forests, nearly 425,000 forested acres spread across 102 counties including 183 Certified Tree USA communities, are unique and essential biological features to the urban landscape. These trees and forests, from trees on private property, streets, parking lots, and college campuses to arboreta, forest preserves, parks, golf courses, and botanical gardens, provide countless benefits - some obvious and some not so obvious:
- Produce oxygen and sequester carbon
- Filter airborne particulates
- Stabilize soil
- Improve water quality
- Habitat for urban dwelling wildlife
- Moderate air temperature and wind
- Reduce noise pollution
- Reduce heating and cooling costs
- Beautify the landscape and increase property values
- Privacy, scenery, and shade
- Educational opportunities
- Recreation
- Linked to reduced stress and crime
Helpful Links
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and University of Illinois, Trees and Ice Storms, 2nd Edition (PDF, 5.06MB)
Tree & Shrub Selection
- University of Illinois Extension, Selecting Trees for Your Home
- University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Tree Selection
- Minnesota Power, Planting the Right Tree
Pruning
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Pruning Basics and Tools
- USDA Forest Service, How to Prune Trees
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Basic Pruning Guidelines
4-H
- Illinois 4H
- Illinois 4-H Forestry Judging
- National 4-H Forestry Invitational
- Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H Virtual Forest
Youth Education
- University of Illinois Extension, Dr. Arbor Talks Trees
- University of Illinois Extension, A Walk in the Woods
- University of Illinois Extension, Trees Are Terrific
- University of Illinois Extension, The Secret Life of Trees
- Penn State University, Teacher Resources: From the Woods Series
- Project Learning Tree
- International Paper, The Life of the Forest Series
Additional Links
- University of Illinois Extension, Master Gardeners
- IDNR, Urban & Community Forestry
- USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area Urban and Community Forestry
- USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area Urban and Community Forestry Information Resources
- Illinois Arborist Association
- International Society of Arboriculture
- University of Nebraska Extension, Landscape Tree Appraisal
- University of Nebraska Extension, Determining the Need to Fertilize Landscape Trees and Shrubs
- Morton Arboretum
- The National Arbor Day Foundation
- Tree City USA
Additional Contact
Reinee Hildebrandt, PhD
State Urban Forester
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
Ph: (217)785-8771
Email: Reinee.Hildebrandt@illinois.gov
