Free trees to be distributed to beautify, educate; ‘Selecting trees is like selecting a new puppy’

Free trees, six to eight feet tall, will soon become available to Waukegan landscapers, yard workers and tree trimmers with the hope they will gain knowledge and skills to help their customers and neighbors add even more trees to the Lake County landscape.

Available through Help Grow Waukegan — a joint effort of Openlands, Waukegan, the U.S. Forest Service and others — officials hope to put 150 new trees in the city by fall of next year, according to Sarah Surroz, Openlands’ director of Lake County programs.

Part of the program is simply designed to put more trees in Waukegan, but it is also crafted to use Openlands’ expertise through a certified arborist to further educate the participants with expertise they can use to guide their customers in landscaping decisions.

Help Grow Waukegan will provide as many as three trees or bushes to qualified members to plant in their own yards as soon as this spring in Waukegan, to benefit the environment and help participants grow their knowledge of tree care.

“Waukegan is home to Lake County’s highest concentration of landscapers,” Surroz said. “This program honors them, while giving back to the community. It’s an opportunity for them to become much more familiar with native trees and shrubs their customers are requesting.”

Limiting participation to tree professionals will put the care of the 150 frees in the hands of experienced individuals who she said can then be further educated by the arborist. They will care for their own trees and those of their clients.

With 20 species of native trees to choose from, Surroz said the participants must look at the location on the property, the position of the tree in relation to sunlight and a variety of other factors to make the right decision for themselves or customers.

“Selecting trees is like selecting a new puppy,” she said. “They’re all beautiful when you get them, but it’s important to give them the care so they will mature and be treasured during a long life.”

Once the trees are available in the spring, the Waukegan Public Works Department will handle the staging. City Public Works Director Chris Garland the city will find a place to house the trees until they are set for the participants or arborist.

“We’ll be able to water them until they’re ready for planting,” Garland said. “We’ll keep them until the Openlands arborist takes them for planting. This is a good opportunity for Waukegan.”

Along with up to three trees, Surroz said each participant will receive a $100 gift card per plant to purchase supplies to care for the trees. Landscapers, yard workers or tree trimmers who are renters can participate with the permission of the property owner.

Participants will be able to choose from a selection of native trees in 15-gallon containers, or shrubs in five-gallon packages. Surroz said the shrubs are between two and four feet tall.

“This program provides Waukegan residents with the opportunity to enhance the greenery and natural beauty of their surroundings, while also promoting environmental sustainability,” she said.

As the program progresses, Surroz said additional trees may be available.

Joining the city of Waukegan, Openlands and the forestry department, Surroz said partners also include the Chicago Region Trees Initiative and the Morton Arboretum.