Zach Wirtz. (Courtesy of The Morton Arboretum)
In the search for the new director of its Chicago Region Trees Initiative, Morton Arboretum didn’t need to look far.
Zach Wirtz, Chicago Region Trees Initiative’s community manager, has been named to the top job, and will officially assume the role on April 1, the arboretum announced.
Wirtz will have big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of Lydia Scott, who was the initiative’s founding director when the program launched in 2014. Scott retired at the end of 2023.
The initiative connects organizations — public and private — across the seven-county Chicago area to promote the importance of trees and improve the quality of the region’s tree canopy.
Wirtz joined in 2021, most recently working as the organization’s community manager. In his new position, he will oversee, among other programs, $23 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding earmarked to increase equitable access to trees in underserved communities.
Along with expanding the Chicago region’s tree canopy, the organization’s stated goals include reducing threats to urban trees, enhancing oak ecosystems and inspiring people to value trees.
Wirtz previously worked at the Texas Trees Foundation. He is a certified arborist and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in urban forestry.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
