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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, 2007 is the 35th anniversary of the Chicago 
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Botanic Garden; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Chicago Botanic Garden is located at 1000 Lake 
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Cook Road in Glencoe, is owned by the Forest Preserve District 
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of Cook County, and is managed by the Chicago Horticultural 
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Society; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Chicago Horticultural Society was founded in 
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1890; the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and the 
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Chicago Horticultural Society partnered in 1963; 
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groundbreaking ceremonies for the Chicago Botanic Garden took 
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place in 1965, and the Chicago Botanic Garden opened to the 
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public in 1972; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The 385-acre Chicago Botanic Garden has grown to 
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include 23 display gardens with almost 2.4 million plants and 
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three native habitats, uniquely situated on nine islands 
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surrounded by lakes; and

 
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    WHEREAS,
The Chicago Botanic Garden has developed into a 
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preeminent center for learning and scientific research that 
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offers more than 500 courses, including graduate and 
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undergraduate level classes in plant sciences in collaboration 
 


 






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with some of the region's foremost universities; courses are 
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taught by leading scientists and teachers in the fields of 
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plant biology, conservation and horticulture; these learning 
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opportunities combined with the Garden's extensive outreach 
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programming, tell the important story of plants to children, 
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college students, educators, professionals, gardeners, land 
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managers, policymakers and the civic, corporate, and 
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philanthropic community; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Chicago Botanic Garden welcomed 760,000 
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visitors in 2006, the second most-visited garden in the United 
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States, and membership reached 47,000, the largest membership 
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of any botanical garden in the nation; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate the many staff members and volunteers involved in 
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the operations of the Chicago Botanic Garden for celebrating 35 
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years of fulfilling its mission, in collections, beauty, 
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education, research, and conservation; the Garden, as a center 
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for teaching and research, dedicates its collections and 
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professional expertise to serving the needs of the world-wide 
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community and contributing to the understanding of the plant 
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world; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
 


 






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presented to William J. Hagenah, Chairman of the Board of 
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Directors of the Chicago Horticultural Society, and Barbara 
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Whitney Carr, President and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden.