The Morton Arboretum is a 1700 acre conservatory in Lisle
Illinois. Its mission is not only to
collect and study trees, shrubs, and plants from around the world but also to
display them for study to encourage the planning and conservation of trees and
plants. This is a place to visit and explore, learn, and gain experience on the
nature of plants, trees, habitat, and research. The Morton Arboretum has
something for everyone.
The landscape of the Morton Arboretum contains nine miles of
paved roads shared by vehicles, bicyclists, and runners with excellent views of
the changing landscape. Park your car at
a designated area and hike the 16 miles of trails through the woods, ponds, and
streams. The trails are maintained year round for hiking, cross-country skiing,
and snowshoeing.
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| American Goldfinch |
As a member of the
arboretum, I belong to the Morton Arboretum Photographic Society (MAPS). MAPS is a non-competitive club for nature
photographers. We have monthly meetings to share experiences and gain new
information on photography. The meetings
have a presentation with well known professional photographers from all over
the U.S. to speak about their adventures in photography. The club has periodic
group outings including selected sites at the arboretum. As a visitor you are welcome to the meetings
on the second Monday of each month at the Thornhill Education Center. Doors open at 6:00 pm, and the meeting starts
at 7:00 pm. Hint: You can gain free
entrance by telling the gate guard you are attending the Monday night MAPS meeting.
The Morton Arboretum is open year round and
there is no end to capturing wildlife at any time of the year. There are large animals such as deer and
smaller ones such as mink, beaver, and coyote to be
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| White Tailed Deer |
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Juvenile Horned Owl
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found in the area. Of
course there are birds. The Morton
Arboretum is a favorite resting place for migratory birds during the spring and
fall. Spring and fall migrations are best. Over one
hundred species can be seen during spring.
There are: Wintering Northern
Saw-whet Owls and winter finches, especially crossbills. Breeding
Yellow-throated Warblers, Eastern Bluebirds, and occasionally
Golden-crowned Kinglets. Migrating warblers, vireos, and flycatchers can be
abundant.
The Arboretum offers events and classes on nature such as bird
guided tours, photographic walking tours, and various workshops on photography
such as landscape photography, and golden hour photography. There even is a
workshop on smartphone photography!
A very special event held every November through
December is the Morton Arboretum Illumination.
The wooded area around Meadow Lake is lit with colorful lights and beams after the sun
goes down for a spectacular display and a challenge for the photographer. On
the return trip around the display area, a hot chocolate is waiting for you at
the Gingko Café. My fingers were frozen
on that 10 Deg. F. night!
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Illumination
at the Visitors Center
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The
daytime hours during the winter season provide plenty of opportunity for some
excellent landscape photography especially in black and white. Trees playing
with shadows and fog, or snow falling over a stream or river. The lakes and ponds with sunlight peeking through
clouds, or the DuPage River which flows through the property with over
hanging tree branches, or reflections in melting snow, or a cardinal against a
snowy background sitting on a branch are all photo ready!
Spring is of course birding season. Migratory birds favor Morton Arboretum
because of the environmental opportunities for food and shelter.
Wild flowers
blooming in the woods and prairie provide the chance to photograph some rare
species or species that only grow in this part of the state such as “Solitary
Pussytoes” or good luck trying to find “Trailing Arbutus.” Some think it is extirpated in Illinois! There are plenty of other wild and garden
variety flowers to photograph as well as blooming trees such as “Red Buds” and
“Magnolias.” During the summer, the
prairie flowers and shrubs grow to head high, offering a chance to photograph
birds and flowers without bending over!
Summer time of course is
festival time and the Morton Arboretum has a variety of events to attend. One of my favorites is the Annual MAPS photography
exhibit held each spring in April or May. Other festivals and events are Wine
and art walk, Beer tasting, Sumo Wrestling, and Passport Europe, to name a few.
Enjoy live music at some of the
events. It’s an opportunity to
photograph people, or take candid shots, or just enjoy the adventure.
The Visitor Center staff are happy to answer any questions
about your visit. You can call Visitor
Services at 630-968-0074
Admission:
$15 Adults ages 18–64
($10 Wednesdays*)
*Wednesdays are discount admission!
$13 Seniors 65+ ($9 Wednesdays*)
$10 Children ages 2–17 ($7 Wednesdays*)
$13 Seniors 65+ ($9 Wednesdays*)
$10 Children ages 2–17 ($7 Wednesdays*)
Children 1 and younger are
free
Admission includes FREE
parking. Members always enter for free with valid membership
credentials.
The Morton Arboretum offers
free general daily admission year-round to active-duty service men or women
with a valid ID.
NOTE: This post was also published in the "PSA Journal" February 2019 pp 36-38
