Bolingbrook Park District Opens New Hidden Oaks Nature Center

BOLINGBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bolingbrook Park District and Wight & Company are pleased to announce the opening and dedication ceremonies on June 20th for the new Hidden Oaks Nature Center in the Village of Bolingbrook.

The 10 a.m. ceremony will take place at the facility site located at 419 Trout Farm Road near the intersection of Boughton and Schmidt Roads, adjacent to Hidden Lakes Historic Trout Farm and the East Branch of the DuPage River. Bolingbrook Park District Board of Commissioners and Wight & Company, the sustainable design-builder for the project, will host the ceremony.

Several community-oriented events will run during the day. After the ribbon cutting, local children will celebrate the opening by releasing butterflies. Beginning at noon, the public is welcome to wander around and explore the Nature Center. Staff will be available on the grounds and in each room to explain the use of the various areas and their “green” features. Visitors can participate in a “What’s Hidden at Hidden Oaks” treasure hunt, as well as a presentation by a professional storyteller and other activities for children.

“A nature center has been part of the Bolingbrook Park District’s long range plan for many years,” said Alice Eastman, Superintendent of Natural Resources at the District. “This building surpasses expectations and dreams, not only because of the sustainability and Platinum design, but also the potential for programming and sharing the wonders of nature with generations to come at Hidden Oaks is limitless.”

Programming at Hidden Oaks will provide creative interpretive learning experiences which awaken a sense of wonder and encourage responsible environmental behavior.

Taking its cue from the wooded site, the new 7,000 square-foot building sits between two large oak trees to create a “tree house” feeling. Decks around the oak trees give visitors a chance to be immersed in the restored woodland ecosystem.

“When I first saw the project site, I immediately recognized one of the most endangered ecosystems of the Midwest—an oak/hickory woodland,” said Jay Womack, ASLA, LEED AP, Wight’s director of sustainable design. “The restoration of the native flora that once flourished below these massive oak trees, some of which measure sixty feet across, will bring back an Illinois ecosystem that most people have never seen before. When visitors stand within the woodlands, they will truly be standing in Illinois.”

Housed within the center will be two early-education classrooms specifically designed for Seedlings Preschool, two multi-use rooms, staff offices, and interpretive displays. Sustainably designed and built, it has been registered with the US Green Building Council to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®-NC) Platinum standards.

The building incorporated site-harvested timber; recycled and locally available materials; light shelves for daylight harvesting; low flush toilet fixtures and urinals; and solar-powered faucets that use motion sensors to turn the faucet on and off. Sunshades have been strategically placed to minimize glare and solar heat gain. Paints and varnishes which contain low VOC levels, and wood products that do not contain added urea-formaldehyde heighten the quality of indoor air. Regarding electricity, Photovoltaic panels, connected in parallel to the electrical service, supply the building with energy while excess output returns back to the grid. In addition, occupancy sensors shut off interior lights when staff or visitors are not present.

The list of sustainable features continues outside the building: integrated photocell and time clock devices control site lighting. The green roof features native plants that do not require irrigation. Permeable pavers in the entry drive will reduce stormwater run-off while also reducing urban heat island effect. A geothermal system will provide an efficient way to heat the building during winter and cool it during summer, while Energy Recovery Ventilators reduce energy by reusing pre-conditioned air.

“An important message that we want visitors to take home is that a building and its site can have a positive influence on the environment; especially management of our most precious resource: water” say Womack. “We believe that thinking green begins by thinking blue, which is why all the rain that falls on the Nature Center will be treated as a resource, infiltrating it back into the ground as it did a century ago. One final strategy that will be unique to this place is the constructed wetland. Fit into the context of the surroundings, the ‘wetland’ will manage and cleanse 100% of the ‘black water’ effluent from the restrooms.”