River Trail's newly renovated center to open in July

When River Trail Nature Center reopens in July, it won't be your parents' nature center.

It will be just as homey, but much better, according to Interpretive Naturalist/Director Sue Holt.

Located in the Lake Avenue Woods portion of the Cook County Forest Preserve, between Prospect Heights and Northbrook, River Trail's 50-year-old indoor facilities have been closed since November 2006 when construction began on the expansion and renovation.

When the center reopens, the public will enter the newly heated and air-conditioned building through a new reception area. And for the first time, offices for center staff will be located in the public building instead of in the nearby converted garage.

"That will allow us to better serve the public and be available to answer their questions," Holt said.

The 1,200-square-foot building that was built in 1958 has been renovated and is now called the "Fish Room." Skylights have been added. Walls have been painted and woodwork refinished. And all of the exhibits are being renovated and rearranged.

Three tons of stone have been delivered so staff members can build a new turtle pond exhibit. An insect alcove with hand-painted honeycombs on the wall is also planned.

"The whole facility will be thematic," Holt explained. "This is the up-and-coming thing in interpretation and all of the smaller themes will connect to the major theme of the whole facility. That major theme will be that the nature center is a window to nature in a forested area around a river way in the Midwest."

"And since the forest preserve of Cook County was the first preserved area of forest in a metropolitan area in the nation, that seems appropriate to me," she added.

When complete, the center will feature separate sections for mammals, turtles, fish, birds, reptiles and insects, all of which are native to this area.

On the opposite side of the reception area is the new 3,500-square-foot "River Room."

Exposed rafters made of Douglas fir from Oregon support the vaulted ceiling and mirror the appearance of the original facility. This room will eventually feature a hands-on area for children, as well as antique display cases.

Outside is a covered patio which overlooks the Des Plaines River and will eventually feature Adirondack chairs. Off to one side there is also an amphitheater with log benches and 2,400 tons of stone for seating. This area is used for storytelling bonfires and for addressing school groups, according to Holt.

Back inside, the highlight of the new children's section will be an $8,000 loft that the district has purchased and Holt and her staff plan to alter to look like a giant eagle's nest in a tree. Children will eventually be able to crawl up into the nest.

The rest of the loft will be painted to look like a tree.

"We are one of only three facilities in the state of Illinois with a bald eagle on display, so I felt that it was important to educate both children and adults about our national bird," she added.

Currently, the nature center's staff and volunteers are planning and constructing new exhibits even as the contractors put the finishing touches on the structure.

For instance, Holt is planning a wall exhibit that will "use tangible items to express an intangible thought" and explain now a beaver functions. She will use a rain poncho to explain how his coat repels water, scuba flippers to explain how his feet help him swim and chisels to explain the strength and sharpness of his teeth.

"We have three generations of families coming here so we wanted to make sure that we made the facility a celebration of nature, of community and of family life," Holt said. "We're still that warm community resource that we have always been -- just a little bit more."

As for the animals the center usually houses indoors, they are being "baby-sat" by other facilities for the duration of the project, Holt said. The animals that live outdoors in large habitats are still in residence, however, and available for viewing by visitors, Holt added.

River Trail is one of six nature centers in the Cook County Forest Preserve system and four of them -- River Trail, Crabtree in Barrington, Camp Sagawau near Lemont and the Little Red Schoolhouse in Willow Springs -- are currently being renovated, Holt said.

The $890,000 project at River Trail is being paid for by the Forest Preserve District and by a $50,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, according to district officials.