Do-it-all park in Vernon Hills may soon get arboretum

With two lakes, a boat launch, a fishing pier, nearly 3 miles of trails, a sled hill, athletic fields, a cricket pitch and more, Century Park in Vernon Hills has a lot of recreational choices.

For the next project, officials are taking a different approach at its largest park by establishing an accredited arboretum as an educational feature - a first for a park district in Illinois.

As envisioned by Rick Krocza, parks foreman/horticulturist, the Arboretum at Century Park would highlight a tree population that includes more than 100 different species.

"It's an opportunity to give Century Park a new direction, a different purpose," Krocza said.

Besides letting people know what's in their midst, the arboretum would introduce new and exotic species and serve as a regional testing ground to determine what will work in this climate.

This becomes important as invaders like the emerald ash borer decimate that species and the boundaries of growing zones shift north, Krocza said.

"We can't afford to not get this right," he said.

"We have to diversify the urban forest."

Park commissioners on Tuesday unanimously authorized an application to ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, established in 2011 by the renowned Morton Arboretum.

It is the only global program to officially recognize arboretums based on a set of professional standards.

"I think it's a great idea," said Commissioner Jim Ballowe.

"People may walk by and decide, 'That's nice, I'd like that in my yard.'"

ArbNet lists 14 accredited arboretums in Illinois, including the villages of Riverside and Oak Park, Elmhurst College, Roosevelt University's Schaumburg campus, Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

"We're almost at 200 accredited in 14 countries," said Sue Paist, ArbNet coordinator.

"It's definitely an educational tool and it's meant to set yourself apart."

There are four levels of accreditation. Morton Arboretum, for example, which does research and has scientists on staff, is a Level IV. Vernon Hills is seeking Level II.

There are 444 trees in the collection at Century Park. They are being labeled with stainless steel military-style dog tags.

Data is stored electronically but is not available online. An online map directing visitors to a certain type of tree or information on a given tree available via a QR code are future possibilities.

Large areas of the park are available to expand the collection, according to the application.

The choices to be considered will include trees normally not seen in the area; new hybrids being tested for hardiness, beauty or pest resistance; or, rare, endangered or hard to find species.

Educational activities and events, such as guided tours will be offered and Krocza will host seminars for interested parties or park districts on the creation and upkeep of an arboretum.

"It's a chance to expand people's horizons about what's available out there and what will grow in this region," he said.