When the emerald ash borer wiped out 13 million ash trees across Chicagoland, it was a major loss for the city and suburbs’ tree population.

So scientists at the Morton Arboretum got to work, aiming to preserve and save trees throughout the region and the world.

The Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative and the Global Tree Conservation Project both work to prevent blight, pests and invasive plant species from destroying urban forests, a goal they say is indispensable to our environmental health.

Morning Shift finds out why Chicagoans should care about tree preservation and what another potential invasive pests like the emerald ash borer could mean for our area.

GUEST: Lydia Scott, director of the Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative

LEARN MORE: Chicago Region Trees Initiative (Morton Arboretum)