Guy Sternberg is a different sort of tree hugger. Last year, Sternberg and other arborphiles convinced the Illinois Department of Transportation to spare a group of about 30 historical trees which were planted along Highway 125 and Highway 97 northwest of Springfi eld during the 1930s. Sternberg, an arborist who co-founded Starhill Forest Arboretum north of Salisbury, worked with IDOT to identify trees that should be saved and those that were too sick or damaged to remain. This week, Sternberg and a handful of volunteers are working to save four large ash trees in that group which are at risk of being destroyed by the infamous Emerald Ash Borer beetle. The operation involves injecting the trees with a pesticide to kill the beetles, which have been found in traps near Petersburg and in Springfi eld. Sternberg praises IDOT’s engineers for their cooperation, despite a movement to remove trees from along roadways. “They were very willing to work with us to try and save as many trees as we could,” he said. For more information about Sternberg and Starhill Forest Arboretum, visit starhillforest.com.