For Immediate Release: July 28, 2004
Media Contact: Jayson DeGeeter, 847.729.1963

PARTNERSHIPS, PROGRAMS, AND PLANS:
Autumn Tree Care Experts Celebrates 25 Years of Loving Trees

GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS — A birthday necessitates a celebration. The Germans refined the custom of giving and receiving gifts when they developed the tradition in which the reveler offers gifts to his/her loved ones. It is such a great idea that the arborists at Autumn Tree Care Experts decided to borrow the custom when preparing to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Since 1979, Autumn Tree Care Experts has been committed to preserving trees, offering quality tree care service, and educating the public in the intricacies of arboriculture. During this anniversary year, it seemed appropriate that the gifts offered by ATCE reflect the company's identity. Accordingly, ATCE has developed a partnership with the Chicago Botanic Garden, has coordinated community outreach programs, and has made preparations to continue sharing their expertise with the public in the future.

A Lasting Partnership: The Chicago Botanic Garden
In April of this year, Autumn Tree Care Experts became the exclusive Tree Health Sponsor of the Chicago Botanic Garden. This new partnership represents the progression of a long-standing relationship with the Garden. In the past, ATCE served as the sponsor of the Garden's 2002 Tree in the Arts & Crafts Tradition art exhibit and was a sponsor of the 2003 Bonsai Courtyard upgrade.

The current three-year, education oriented sponsorship in the area of woody plant care provides numerous opportunities for ATCE to share its knowledge with the Garden's 800,000 annual visitors, its staff and volunteers, and the public-at-large. The partnership outlines specific activities that will allow ATCE to share tree care information with Garden visitors, to provide tree care services to the Garden, and to distribute vital information about tree pests and diseases with the public.

During the past few months, ATCE has participated in several events at the Garden. ATCE was on-site at the Chicago Botanic Garden Woman's Board A Bloomin' Sale on May 14-16, assisting shoppers with their selections and offering tree care advice. Later that month, on May 25, ATCE returned to the Garden to host an air excavation seminar for Garden volunteers and staff. Then in June, ATCE met with members of the Chicago Botanic Garden staff to discuss the Garden's latest projects. And the list continues: these events simply mark the beginning of the fruition of this three-year partnership.

Community Outreach Programs
In addition to creating a partnership with the Chicago Botanic Garden, Autumn Tree Care Experts has been busy celebrating its birthday by sharing the knowledge of its ISA certified arborists with the community. This has taken the form of numerous outreach programs.

Although the events have been varied, they have been unified in their purpose: to encourage as many people as possible to be tree huggers. In April, ATCE volunteered a day of tree pruning to John Garvy Grade School in Chicago to prepare for their new butterfly garden. Then, ATCE arborists attended the Western Illinois University Student Field Day in May. The next month, ATCE alerted the news media of the gypsy moth infestation plaguing Mundelein. Also in June, ATCE distributed over 1,250 free tree seedlings at the Glenview Summer Street Festival and provided tree care information at the Keep Evanston Beautiful Garden Walk.In July, ATCE continued the garden walk theme by answering tree care questions at the Park Ridge Garden Walk.
And the Growth Continues
Of course, there is more to come. ATCE has made plans to host programs similar to those mentioned above through the end of the year. In an effort to continue the momentum established during this anniversary year, ATCE hired a new staff-member, Jayson DeGeeter, to facilitate the company's various outreach programs. The company is also preparing to extend its service area into the Fox Valley region. Add to these the continued partnership between Autumn Tree Care Experts and the Chicago Botanic Garden, and ATCE has a busy calendar of community events to last for years to come.

About Autumn Tree Care Experts, Inc.
Autumn Tree Care Experts is a full-service, ISA certified arboricultural firm that has been dedicated to tree preservation since 1979. The company's services include tree pruning and fertilization, disease diagnosis and treatment, pest management, cabling/bracing, and pre/post construction consultations. Autumn Tree Care Experts is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture, the Tree Care Industry Association (formerly the National Arborist Association), the American Society of Consulting Arborists, and the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association.

If you would like an arborist from Autumn Tree Care Experts to speak at your next event, please contact ATCE via telephone: 847.729.1963 or email: welovetrees@autumntree.com.