Ukraine Fundraiser Results
With all donations tallied, thirteen downtown Naperville restaurants and food shops raised nearly $15,000 last week in support of World Central Kitchen’s work in Ukraine. The businesses pledged 25% of profits on April 12 to the cause. World Central Kitchen is currently serving hot meals in makeshift kitchens in the cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv as well as to refugees fleeing from the violence of the Russian invasion. Chefs for Ukraine, a collection of chefs from around the world volunteering with World Central Kitchen, has served more than 300,000 meals to date in Ukraine.
Willowbrook Wildlife Center Project Approved
On Tuesday, the DuPage Forest Preserve District board approved a $25.5 million plan to transform the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, including making it the district’s first net-zero building by generating at least as much renewable energy as energy the building consumes. Other features will include new animal rehabilitation areas, an outdoor classroom and outdoor activity spaces. The new visitor center portion of the project is expected to be completed by 2024, with all construction finished by 2025.
Alive Center Expands to Hanover Park
After seven successful years in Naperville and a second location added in Aurora, the Alive Center for Teens is expanding once again; this time to Hanover Park. There it will operate after school programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students in grades 6 through 12. The Center provides an unstructured environment with various available activities as a counterweight to the structured environment of school. The new location is at 1211 Catalina Drive in a space owned by the Greenwood Tanglewood Homeowners Association, who partnered with the village of Hanover Park and DuPage Habitat for Humanity to make the expansion possible. A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held today.
Eaglets Spotted in Will County Forest Preserve
Regular contributor to the Will County Wildlife Facebook group Bertrand Leclerq has confirmed the presence of two eaglets in one of two known eagle nests within preserve lands. This same nest also produced two eaglets last year. The consistent presence of young bald eagles each winter indicates that the adults have likely taken up residence here rather than migrated, and that the preserves have clean water and a healthy enough fish population to support the birds’ presence. Precise locations of nests are not publicized out of a concern for the birds’ safety.
