Montgomery, Illinois – The Village of Montgomery received Levell II Accreditation from The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. This distinction recognizes the achievement of specific high-level standards of professional practices deemed necessary for arboreta and botanic gardens.
The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. The Village of Montgomery is now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world's arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.
The Village of Montgomery Arboretum is a collection of nearly 11,000 trees planted throughout the Village's parkways and public spaces. The collection serves the community by cleaning the air, capturing rainwater, reducing erosion, cooling neighborhoods, and calming traffic noise on roadways. The trees are strategically arranged and cataloged on the Village website. An interactive digital map allows residents to search their neighborhood to locate and recognize the more than 115 tree species.
"The Emerald Ash Borer infestation in the fall of 2010 and subsequent tree loss brought attention to the lack of tree diversity in parkways. Some neighborhoods were left devoid of trees after the necessary ash removals," says Ed Pfaff, Forestry Supervisor for the Village of Montgomery. "This sparked a long-term tree plan and planting campaign."
Over the last decade, the Village increased its diversity by 50 percent, from 77 species in 2013 to 115 in 2023. Each year, the Village dedicates a native tree to the future site of the Arboretum Garden Park, located adjacent to the Montgomery Police Department along Route 30. The goal is to create a living catalog of the trees and native plantings in the Village that are historically common to the region. Also located at this site (11 Civic Center Ave.) is the Village's award-winning native basin, which features Illinois native plants, pollinators, and essential plant infrastructure to assist with stormwater management and detention in the area.
For more information regarding the Village's Level II Accreditation, contact Forestry Supervisor Ed Pfaff at 630-896-9241, by email at epfaff@montgomeryil.org, or on the VIllage website montgomeryil.org.