Coalition organizes to battle oak decline

Chicago, Ill. — The mighty oak is in trouble. As development and suburban sprawl have risen, the once plentiful oak trees are dwindling. A consortium of tree-minded organizations doesn’t want that trend to continue, so the group is mounting a campaign to encourage communities to plant acorns that some day will grow to the size of oaks planted hundreds of years ago.

The Chicago Region Trees Initiative, a coalition of organizations, including the Morton Arboretum, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the U.S. Forest Service and other partners, is spearheading an effort to raise awareness about the oak tree’s steep decline.

The office of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has named this month Oaktober Oak Awareness Month, and communities and organizations throughout the state are holding programs and events to nurture and educate people about the oak.

“If nothing is done, we will not have the next generations of oaks,” said Valerie Blaine, nature programs manager for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. “Those big old oaks that the pioneers saw are not being replaced.”

Click here to read more at Alliance for Community Trees.