OAKtober celebrations are designed to raise awareness of Illinois’s stately trees. Over the last nearly two centuries, development, agriculture and the need for lumber have nearly decimated the number of oaks in the Chicago area – with only 17% of the original number of oaks in the Chicago region in 1830s survey maps remaining.
Natural Habitat Evanston, with help from a grant from the Highland Garden Club, has donated eight trees to be planted on school grounds in Evanston. At 1 p.m. on Oct. 24, Allison Sloan will host a tree-planting at King Arts School, where open spaces around the playground, parking lot, track and Dempster parkway are in need of shade trees.
Those planning to attend should RSVP to Ms. Sloan at allisonlynnsloan@gmail.com. The meeting place is the south/Dempster parking lot at McDaniel Avenue just north of Dempster Street. Suggested supplies include a shovel, mask, water bottle, sun hat, a pocket knife and/or pruners for cutting off burlap root bags. Social-distancing protocols will be observed; the rain date is Nov. 1.