CSS Trees - Morton Arboretum
With one-third of the world’s tree species threatened with extinction, cross-sector conservation efforts are more important than ever. The Center for Species Survival Trees (CSS Trees) was established in 2023 through a strategic partnership between the IUCN SSC and The Morton Arboretum, in Illinois, United States.
The mission of CSS Trees is to work with partners to promote and support the conservation of tree species and forest ecosystems, primarily in biodiversity hotspots. CSS Trees is the first Center to focus entirely on trees, and the only one hosted at an arboretum. Its establishment represents an important milestone towards bringing attention to plant conservation among the broader conservation community, as well as expanding support for plant-focused specialist groups. CSS Trees is also one of the first two Centers to be hosted in the same metropolitan region, along with nearby CSS Freshwater at Shedd Aquarium. Together, these Centers aim to position Chicago as a global hub for biodiversity conservation.
Supporting the Species Conservation Cycle
From Assessment to Action: Safeguarding the World’s Oaks
CSS Trees works with global and in-country partners to safeguard the world’s more than 400 oak species. Oaks (genus Quercus, family Fagaceae) are our flagship tree group because of their global economic, ecological, and cultural importance. In collaboration with the Global Tree Assessment team and the IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group, the Morton Arboretum ASSESSED the world’s oak species in 2020. Equipped with this information, staff at CSS Trees are working closely with the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group and the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak to lead and facilitate conservation planning workshops with stakeholders to PLAN conservation and recovery actions for oaks. We have on-the-ground ACTION projects with partners in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These projects seek to benefit oak ecosystems while supporting local communities.
Building Capacity for Tree Conservation in Biodiversity Hotspots
There is an urgent need to expand capacity in tree identification, propagation, restoration, and conservation, particularly in biodiversity hotspots where species loss is greatest. The Species Steward Training Program at CSS Trees focuses on working with local partners to build their capacity in these regions, empowering and supporting them to become advocates for protecting their natural resources, particularly trees. Virtual modules are being created that include information on best practices for collecting herbarium specimens, starting a nursery, and propagating rare and threatened tree species. The virtual courses are complemented with in-person workshops and technical support visits. Efforts to date are focused in Mexico and Central America.
Working with Botanic Gardens to Conserve the Trees of the United States
The goal of this project is to use the One Plan Approach to ensure survival and sustainable management of threatened or at-risk species of U.S. trees, particularly exceptional species that cannot be stored in seed banks. CSS Trees supports survey, collection, propagation, and cultivation of U.S. trees of conservation concern underrepresented in ex situ collections, and promotes genetically-diverse ex situ collections of high conservation value in botanic gardens. The team also adapts and develops tools that help scientists, land-managers and botanic gardens better conserve priority species. Partners in these efforts include the USDA Forest Service, United States Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., NatureServe, ArbNet, and many more.
Meet our team
Silvia Alvarez-Clare
Silvia is the Director of Global Tree Conservation at The Morton Arboretum in Illinois, USA, a program focused on safeguarding threatened tree species through science-based conservation work conducted ...
Amy Byrne
Manager for Global Tree Conservation and Conservation Planning Officer. Member of the Global Tree Conservation Program at The Morton Arboretum, Amy manages the Center for Species Survival Trees. In ...
Kate Good
Kate Good is a Red Listing Officer in the Center for Species Survival Trees and a member of the Global Tree Conservation Program team at Morton Arboretum. Through spatial analyses, literature review ...
Tari Marshall
Tari Marshall is the Director of PR and Social Media for The Morton Arboretum. She is a public relations and marketing specialist with experience managing national and international communications for ...