Into the Wild - Parks and Arboretums

by Mark Neal

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Natural outdoor areas are important places to recharge and relax, offering an escape from the frenetic world of day-to-day business. When I need the solace of trees and quiet, my escape route leads me to the Morton Arboretum, a 1,700 acre plant museum containing more than 4,000 kinds of trees, shrubs and plants from around the world.

The Arboretum was founded in 1922 by Morton Salt tycoon Joy Morton to continue the tradition of environmentalism established by his father, J. Sterling Morton, who created Arbor Day in 1872 and worked as Secretary of Agriculture under President Grover Cleveland. Today, the Arboretum contains nine miles of roads and 16 miles of hiking trails, allowing visitors access to thickly wooded forest, meadows, prairies and cultivated gardens.

Artist Steve Tobin created “Steel Roots,” an exhibit of fourteen sculptures at the Morton Arboretum made of massive rolled and bent steel pipes.

My favorite activity at the Arboretum is to explore and find remote spots that are largely ignored by most visitors. Finding untraveled, overgrown roads that lead to shadowed, mysterious groves of cedars are a pleasant discovery. Or finding a hidden stream beneath the twisted roots of dense, overhanging yews complete with a tiny waterfall and placid pool.

I come to the woods to seek solace, to be alone with my thoughts, to let the quiet companionship of nature impress itself on my mind and spirit. I find it in these places.

I am of like mind with Henry David Thoreau, who wrote in Walden, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” This is the value of wild places for me: their capacity to teach, to rejuvenate, to speak to the spirit through silences and sounds, to make life richer.

The Morton Arboretum is also an excellent place to practice more traditional pursuits such as hiking, biking, nature study and bird watching. Because of the diversity of activities offered, its unique collections, and its commitment to sustainable practices and green initiatives, it remains one of Chicagoland’s environmental successes.

I encourage you to discover natural areas near where you live. When we enjoy and make use of these areas, we support the environment.

To get started, try searching for a park in an area where you live, or browsing through a list of botanic gardens and arboretums, by visiting one of the links below.

Links

Park Finder:
http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

Arboretum/Botanical Garden Finder:
http://www.gardenology.org/wiki/List_of_botanical_gardens_in_the_United_....

Morton Arboretum: http://www.mortonarb.org/

Discussion Questions:

How many trees can you name?

How can you help preserve natural areas?

What is sustainability?

Why is it important to spend time studying and experiencing nature?

What are some ways you can motivate others to get out of doors?