Burr Ridge Residents Among Those Honored At Morton Arboretum Dinner

Volunteers at the Morton Arboretum were honored at the “Every Volunteer Counts” 2011 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on June 15. The staff of the 1700-acre outdoor museum said that without the efforts of its volunteers, 50,000 hours of work would have gone unfinished throughout the arboretum.

Burr Ridge residents Bob and Maryann Rosenberg were among those honored at the event.

The event, which included four tram rides, two before and two after the dinner, took volunteers on a private tour of the arboretum's east side. Leslie Goddard, Exhibit Developer, led an interpretive walk of Nature Unframed: Art at the Arboretum.

New this year was a recognition program to honor volunteers who may not have given 100 plus hours, but have gone above and beyond the call of duty. This season had three recipients: Terry Lee of Elmhurst for his assistance with the installation of Nature Unframed: Art at the Arboretum; LeeAnn Cosper of Downers Grove for her involvement with the Arbor Day Plant Sale; and Chet Wilzak of Downers Grove for his joyful attitude as Information Desk volunteer.

“At The Morton Arboretum, not only do we cherish our volunteers, we simply couldn’t accomplish what we do [without them],” says Kristin Sabatino, volunteer coordinator, “We rely on generous, dedicated people to help us achieve our mission—encouraging the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world.”

The Morton Arboretum is a leader in tree science and education, working to save and plant trees. The outdoor museum features collections of 4,128 kinds of trees, shrubs and other plants from around the world. You can find out more about the Morton Arboretum here.