The Willowbrook Wildlife Center has a new name.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County announced Thursday that the wildlife treatment and education center in Glen Ellyn will be renamed as the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center at Willowbrook Forest Preserve.
The new name is meant to highlight the center’s noteworthy presence in DuPage County, and shine a light on the conservation efforts of the center, as well as its commitment to wildlife rehabilitation, public education efforts, and propagation of endangered species, according to a news release from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
New name comes with new look as wildlife center undergoes renovations
The new name comes as the facility also receives a new look.
The center is currently undergoing extensive renovations as part of the forest preserve district’s 2019 master plan. The facility is being modernized, with construction currently underway on a 27,000-square-foot wildlife rehabilitation clinic and visitor center.
The building will be the district’s first net-zero emissions facility, generating more energy than it consumes.
New facilities will include indoor and outdoor animal rehabilitation areas, an interpretive trail with places to spot wildlife, an outdoor classroom, and interactive educational exhibits to give some insight into the animal rehabilitation process.
“You’ll be able to see our staff examining animals as they come in,” Karen Gray, Manager of the Planning and Development Department for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County told NCTV17 back in May. “If there’s procedures, there’s also a window into the surgery room. There’s also windows into some of the rehab areas so that you can see the everyday process of feeding them, and checking their weight as they progress.”
The newly rebranded center is expected to open back up to visitors later this year. In the meantime, the inner workings of the center remain open for animal intake, to care for injured and orphaned wildlife.
Third name change for the wildlife center
Forest preserve district officials point out that this isn’t the first name change for the facility. Upon opening in 1956, it was called Willow Brook, in honor of the Glencrest Creek that wound its way through the preserve. The name was changed to Willowbrook Wildlife Center in 1993.
Photo courtesy: Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
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