Daily Herald opinion: Window to nature: Visitor center an impressive part of new DuPage wildlife hospital

Last week marked the return of a valuable educational resource for families in DuPage County.

For decades, the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn has provided care and medical treatment to injured and orphaned native wildlife from throughout the region. The facility, formerly known as the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, also helped educate countless residents about nature through its popular visitor center.

However, the visitor center was closed to the public during the pandemic to allow employees to care for the animals safely. It remained shuttered because of space constraints.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County then broke ground on a multi-year project that would transform the campus along Park Boulevard.

A new 27,000-square-foot wildlife hospital and visitor center has since been built as part of the overall project. Other improvements include a raptor barn, outdoor enclosures, and the revitalization of a roughly 40-acre area behind the building.

The new visitor center, which opened last week, is a significant upgrade from the space it replaced.

In a story published Jan. 14, senior writer Katlyn Smith described how the public exhibit hall features a linear series of large windows that provide views of clinic exam rooms, holding areas and even live medical procedures. Visitors, for example, could watch how orphans are being reared until they’re old enough to survive in the wild on their own.

“One of the things that we really wanted to highlight was the real work being done here that is unique to the center, which is the hospital,” said Stephanie Touzalin, wildlife education supervisor.

The bright and airy space also contains static displays on a variety of important topics. One display warns about how everyday objects, including six-pack rings and plastic bottles, can trap or entangle wildlife. Another offers tips on how we can reduce our carbon footprint. There’s even a map on one wall showing how birds migrate through North America.

In addition to an indoor and outdoor classroom, a trail on the property has new signs, audio speakers and seating to observe the flora and fauna.

“All this combined together is going to be an awesome resource for us to be able to teach the community,” said Nate Hambel, a wildlife interpreter.

We applaud the forest preserve for its overhaul of the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center. The improvements should help the facility better achieve its mission of rehabilitating animals and reintroducing them to the wild.

We also praise the decision to maintain the educational component of the center. The public exhibit hall is impressive and will help inform children and parents alike about the natural world for decades to come.