The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s new DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center at Willowbrook Forest Preserve has achieved LEED v4 Gold certification, recognizing the facility’s sustainable design, energy efficiency, water conservation, and reduced environmental impact.
The 27,000-square-foot facility earned 64 points under LEED v4, a globally recognized green-building rating system. Designed and built by Wight & Company, the all-electric facility was designed for net-zero energy use, meaning it is designed to produce as much energy from renewable sources as it consumes over the course of a year.
The Forest Preserve District began tracking the building’s energy performance April 1 and will continue monitoring it going forward. The first 18 months of monitoring are critical for fine-tuning building systems and procedures to minimize energy use. Even in these early months, the building is already producing significantly more energy than it’s using, with a surplus
of roughly 300,000 kilowatt-hours so far. That puts it well on track to demonstrate that it is meeting its net-zero energy goals next year.
“The DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center reflects our mission in so many ways,” Forest Preserve District President Daniel Hebreard said. “Not only does it provide exceptional care for thousands of native wild animals each year, but the building itself demonstrates how thoughtful design can conserve resources and reduce our environmental impact. Achieving LEED Gold certification is something everyone involved in this project can be proud of.”
Early in the design process, the project team used energy and daylight modeling to identify ways to reduce energy use, make better use of natural light, and improve the building’s overall efficiency.
A ground-source geothermal system provides efficient heating and cooling and helped the project earn all available LEED points for energy optimization. An expansive array of ground- and roof-mounted solar panels generates electricity to help offset the building’s annual energy use.
The facility also incorporates strategies to manage rainwater onsite, conserve water, improve indoor air quality, and enhance thermal comfort. An embodied-carbon analysis conducted during design helped the project team identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impact associated with building materials and construction.
“From the beginning, we wanted this facility to support the work happening inside it while reflecting the Forest Preserve District’s commitment to sustainability,” Executive Director Anamari Dorgan said. “The result is a building that gives our wildlife care team the space and resources they need, creates new opportunities for the public to connect with native wildlife, and demonstrates what environmentally responsible design can look like.”
The Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Wight & Company in April 2022 to design and build the new wildlife rehabilitation clinic and visitor center, replacing the center’s 42-year-old facility.
The DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center opened in January 2026 and offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at wildlife rehabilitation while helping them better understand native wildlife and how to coexist with it.
Each year, the center treats approximately 11,000 injured and orphaned wild animals. Six large viewing windows allow visitors to observe portions of the rehabilitation process, including animal examinations, treatments, surgeries, and the feeding of young wildlife.
The center also features educational exhibits, a classroom, outdoor activity spaces, and an interpretive trail.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green-building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Projects earn points for sustainable practices related to energy, water, materials, indoor environmental quality, site development, and other areas.
About the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County improves the quality of life for all DuPage County residents. Its 26,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, wetlands, and waterways contribute to cleaner air and water, help with flood control, create vital habitats for wildlife, and provide safe spaces where people can boost their physical and mental health. More than 5.9 million people visit its 60 forest preserves, 175 miles of trails, seven education centers, and scores of programs each year. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube pages.