Celebrating 20 years of TreeKeepers

This year, Openlands' TreeKeepers program celebrates its 20th anniversary. More than 1,300 people have taken the TreeKeepers classes. Collectively, they have combated threats such as the Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer, developed a community arboretum in North Lawndale, and undertaken comprehensive tree inventories in several Chicago parks. In 2010 alone, TreeKeeper volunteers dedicated more than 15,000 volunteer hours to protecting our urban forests.

For much of its 20-year history, TreeKeepers has focused primarily on tree-care efforts, undertaking a few small-scale tree plantings. However as city agencies responsible for planting trees see their budgets cut, and with federal stimulus dollars for plantings dwindling, the stage is set for Openlands' TreeKeepers to step up their efforts dramatically. Our goal is to formalize tree-planting efforts into a program that will establish 1,000 new trees in its first two years. Openlands will partner with community groups, as well as the Chicago Park District, Chicago Bureau of Forestry, and Chicago Public Schools, to plant trees with community and TreeKeepers volunteers in parks, school campuses, street parkways, and boulevards. At the same time, Openlands will launch a new effort to establish suburban TreeKeepers chapters and will more systematically monitor the health of existing trees on public property.

Openlands first turned its attention to urban trees through a program called NeighborWoods. Begun in 1987, its aim was to raise awareness of the role of the urban forest through community-based plantings and tree-care projects and to prod the public agencies responsible for tending the urban forest into doing a better job.

According to Suzanne Malec-McKenna, the first director of TreeKeepers and most recently the commissioner of Chicago's Department of Environment, "We started TreeKeepers because we wanted to engage Chicagoans in a more comprehensive stewardship effort for trees. NeighborWoods was a successful initiative that filled the void of resources for tree planting until Mayor Daley elevated the city's forestry operations with his passion for and commitment to trees. TreeKeepers built a foundation with the city and other public and private agencies to build awareness among Chicagoans about the importance of trees for our quality of life and to engage all those involved in caring for the incredibly important resource that is the Chicago region's trees."

Dr. Janet Halpin, a new graduate of the program, says, "Taking TreeKeepers has changed my perspective and how I perceive the world. I'm much more observant and in tune." Halpin, who grew up in a small town carved out of the arboreal forest of Manitoba, Canada, played in the forest her entire life. She had wanted to take the TreeKeepers class since meeting the program's coordinator, Jim DeHorn, eight years ago. "Jim is actively recruiting TreeKeepers every day of his life," says Halpin. A faculty member of Chicago State University, she finally got the chance when TreeKeepers classes were held on the school's campus this past spring. "The volunteer and community work I've done in the past has been going to meetings—it can be very abstract. Working with trees is fundamental and direct, and the people who do it are great. I'm elated by the fact that I planted two trees at the north edge of Lincoln Park. How many people can say that they have planted trees at a world-famous park?" Halpin asks with an evident sense of pride.

With the help of Halpin and other TreeKeepers, those trees will be a lasting monument to Chicago's motto, Urbs In Horto, a city in a garden. Halpin states, "I'm inspired to stay involved by the regularly scheduled events. We also have TreeKeepers on the Chicago State campus, and we're planning campus work-days. It's a community building process, a chance to meet people and socialize."