The Village of Downers Grove is located 22 miles west of Chicago in DuPage County. Downers Grove has a population of over 50,000 residents in an area of 14.6 square miles. Downers Grove has a rich and vibrant history dating back to 1832 when founder, Pierce Downer, set up camp in a small grove of bur oak trees for which the community is named after. Nearly 200 years later and trees remain a defining characteristic of the community’s identity.The Village forestry staff maintains over 23,000 trees. The Village has a wide array over over 120 species of trees, including many mature oak, catalpa, American elm, ginkgo, and hickory trees in parkways. There are rare and exotic collections of trees in Downers Grove including a block of multiple hills X black oak hybrids, katsura, Armenian/ Hartwiss’ oak, Japanese emperor oak, and many types of hybrid elm.

The Village collaborates extensively with surrounding communities, tree nurseries, and the Morton Arboretum to further diversify the communities urban forest. A balance of native vs exotic species is planting biannually in fall and spring to fill open planting spaces and replace canopy lost through tree removals, as well as planting in open spaces. The Village takes a holistic approach to managing the urban forest and is very creative with its tree planting and diversification plan