Elmhurst College to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Arboretum

Submitted by Elmhurst College.

Elmhurst, IL - Elmhurst College will celebrate Arbor Day, as well as the 50th anniversary of the campus’ arboretum, with the planting of a Shumard Oak, the same kind of tree that started the arboretum in 1966.

The tree planting will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 29, along the southern part of the mall drive, between Schick Hall and Memorial Hall (190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, elmhurst.edu/campusmap). Dave Froede of Bartlett Tree Experts also will be on hand to test people’s knowledge of tree trivia.

The event will mark the 50th year of the Elmhurst College Arboretum, which began with longtime Elmhurst resident Herb Licht and the College’s first groundskeeper, Ragnar Moen. Licht and Moen shared a passion for trees, and established the campus arboretum by planting a single Shumard Oak on the south side of the Frick Center. Today the Arboretum boasts nearly 800 trees and shrubs, including many exotic and rare specimens, and encompasses the entire 48-acre campus.

The Arboretum has won Level II Accreditation from the Morton Register of Arboreta. In addition, the College has earned Tree Campus USA designations from the Arbor Day Foundation, in recognition of its dedication to nurturing and maintaining its arboretum. Specialized computer software helps College arborists and groundskeepers take care of the growing collection.