The Healing Power of Trees
A Dense Micro-Forest grows along Kedzie Parkway on the west side of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Sixth Municipal District in South Suburban Markham.
Most forests take over 100 years to reach maturity, going their own ways. But this forest, the first of its kind in Illinois, which was planted on 800 square feet in 2022, could be mature in 20 years.
The plot features native species, including white oak, skyline locust and shag-bark hickory with serviceberry and hazelnut in the understory; fra- grant sumac, elderberry, and chokeberry as shrubs. Butterfly weed, wild columbine, eastern bee balm, showy black-eyed Susan, rosy sedge, and purple coneflower comprise the border and bottom layer.
Sheetal Rao, MD, an internal medicine physician who teaches a course on climate change and health at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, and childhood friend Christine Diploma, an IT professional, are co-founders of the organization behind the forest.
Dr. Rao stepped away from private practice seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic due to burnout and to supervise remote learning of her two sons.
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