Professional Development

Course List

  • Certified Interpretive Guide Training

    The Certified Interpretive Guide program is designed for anyone who delivers interpretive programs to the public. It combines both the theoretical foundations of the profession with practical skills in delivering quality interpretive programming to the public. Four days: Monday, August 20 through Thursday, August 23, 2018 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

  • 2018 Midwest Tree and Shrub Conference: Resilient Plants for a Lasting Landscape

    This one-day conference for green industry professionals and avid home gardeners will focus on the latest information and practice related to the selection and care of Midwestern trees, shrubs, and woody plants, as shared by leading designers and plant experts at The Morton Arboretum. Thursday, September 6, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

  • Grass Identification and Ecology

    Learn to identify the grasses that add beauty and interest to the summer and fall landscape at The Morton Arboretum. Two days: Thursday, September 13, and Friday, September 14, 2018, 9:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.

  • Trees of Illinois I

    Learn to identify the trees you see every day in the woodlands and neighborhoods of the Chicago region at The Morton Arboretum. (SOLD OUT) Saturday, September 15, 2018, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • Basic Plant ID (Online or In-person)

    Get the botany basics you need to identify plants at The Morton Arboretum. Online only begins:Tuesday, November 27, 2018. In-person only meets: Saturday, September 8, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or Sunday, October 7, 2018, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. The Online version for August 3 is sold out.

  • Chicago Wilderness Burn Crew Training

    Chicago Wilderness will offer three winter sessions of the Midwest Ecological Prescription Burn Crew Member Training class at The Morton Arboretum. Two days: Thursday, October 4, and Friday, October 5; or Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14, 2018, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

  • Landscape Below Ground IV Workshops

    Pre-conference workshops for the Landscape Below Ground IV conference. Workshops take place October 15, 2018, at The Morton Arboretum and address planting trees, root diseases, soils, stability of urban trees, and tours of the Arboretum's future to Gateway to Tree Science exhibit.

  • Landscape Below Ground IV: International Conference on Tree Root Development in Urban Soils

    The 4th Landscape Below Ground Conference, presented by The Morton Arboretum and the International Society of Arboriculture on October 15-17, 2018, features the latest research on tree planting and care from the ground down.

  • Plants of the Prairie

    Learn the identification skills to manage, restore, or simply enjoy prairie habitats at The Morton Arboretum. This class will be offered again in July 2019. Registration will open April 2019.

  • Wetland Ecology

    Learn the essentials of wetland ecology and the vital management techniques necessary to maintain threatened wetland ecosystems at The Morton Arboretum. Two days: Wednesday, August 1, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, August 4, 2018 8:00 a.m. to noon. SOLD OUT. This class will be offered again in June 2019. Registration will open Tuesday, February, 2019.