Morton Arboretum's Nicole Cavender talks trees, in time for Arbor Day
Leslie Mann, Chicago Tribune
For many Chicagoans, The Morton Arboretum in Lisle is a green oasis, its canopied trails beckoning visitors for decades. But for Nicole Cavender, Morton's vice president of science and conservation, the 1,700-acre arboretum is much more than a wondrous place to visit. As manager of its new Center for Tree Science, her mission is oak-tree mighty: to unite a global lineup of experts from diverse fields and learn how trees can survive in our increasingly urban environments. The center is filling a much-needed gap, she added.