The Mighty Oak Tree: A McHenry County Mainstay
We love our oaks. They provide shade in the summer, acorns for wildlife in the fall, and enhance the natural beauty of the area, even in winter, with their gnarled, expansive branches. Oaks also offer habitat for a larger variety of insects than any other species of tree, which translates directly into more birds that eat those bugs!
However, these beloved trees are under stress, and if nothing changes, they may be largely gone from the local landscape within 20 years. But, as a community, we can take action to ensure these majestic, sacred witnesses to our history will grace the landscape for generations to come.
Thanks to a grant from The Morton Arboretum, TLC is taking specific action to increase the oak canopy in Harvard, IL.
Here are just some of the many ways you can help local oaks:
Volunteer to help at a Community Oak Planting event
Volunteering could include watering trees during the warm seasons and helping with the Memorial and Celebration Oak plantings, which could include planting, filling in, watering, mulching and caging trees. Interested in volunteering? Contact Anna Evans for more info.
Nominate a property for a future Oak Planting event
TLC is always looking for new places to plant oaks! Do you know of a property with public access, park, etc. that is need of some oak trees? Contact Anna Evans at TLC.
Plant a Memorial or Celebration Oak
Recognize a loved one or special occasion with the gift of an oak tree that could live 200 years or more!
Donate to the Third Generation Oak Fund
To help ensure that there will be the financial resources to support oak conservation efforts in the county long-term, a dedicated fund was created in 2008 and donations for the project were placed into it. Additionally, income from the sale of Memorial/Celebration oaks as well as the Oak Sale is placed into the fund. You can make a donation here, and indicate that the funds should be designated for the Third Generation Oak Fund.
Purchase locally grown oaks and native shrubs
You can purchase high-quality, native trees and shrubs through TLC’s Spring & Fall Native Plant Sales. TLC also holds Online Native Tree and Shrub Sales througout the year with local pickup in Spring Grove, IL.
Collect Acorns
Each fall, you can do your own “Acorn Roundup.” Simply gather acorns from under local oak trees and bring them to TLC’s office so the acorns can be grown into trees.
TLC takes the acorns to a local nursery that raises them for TLC to use at community oak planting events and as Memorial/Celebration oaks. At any given time, there are thousands of oaks of various ages, species and sizes growing for future plantings. Learn what to look for here.
