Improvements planned for Itasca's nature center

Big plans are ahead for Itasca's Spring Brook Nature Center.

The village of Itasca and Itasca Park District this month renewed their commitment to contribute to and improve the nature center. The agreement involves sharing employees and programs.

"With this intergovernmental agreement, the park district is making a renewed commitment to help the nature center do more and help it grow with the new vision that we've got coming," Spring Brook Nature Center Director Fred Maier said. "With the park district providing staff for programs, we're going to continue to keep those programs going and possibly even expand the offerings."

In the late 1970s, the village, park district and Itasca school districts decided to develop and jointly operate a nature center. The village provided 80 percent of the funding, and the park district and school district provided 10 percent each.

Then in the late 1980s, the village assumed all responsibilities while other entities contributed in their own capacity.

"It's kind of bringing it back again," Itasca Mayor Gigi Gruber said. "But now it's just a bigger pool of resources to help expand our programs because we have more people working on them."

Maier said nature center improvements include renovating the grounds near and around the building, possibly renovating the building and reorganizing and expanding programs and offerings. Officials are looking at a timeline of 12 to 18 months for the significant changes.

"Everything is in the planning stages right now," Maier said. "We are looking to bring about a renaissance and almost recreate the nature center."

The village recently entered into an agreement with Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation to take over the nature center's raptor care programs. In addition, Health World, which recently moved to Itasca, has agreed to share its educational exhibits with the village.

Maier said both organizations already have added to the nature center's offerings.

"The partnerships are going to do a lot more with very little effort on the part of the village," he said, "and help the nature center grow and expand."