Park District Unveils Green Interpretive Center

Nestled in among trees—some still hanging on to their leaves—is Naperville’s newest center for environmental education and community programming.

After about 10 months of construction the is unveiling the renovated to the public Saturday.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. and residents are invited to attend the festivities.

Located off Plank Road on the north side of Naperville, the Seager Park Interpretive Center will now be the place for little “Toadstools and Pollywogs” to learn about the environment and a location for other members of the community to participate in park programs, according to officials.

“We think the project turned out really nice and we are really excited to introduce the new amenities to the community,” said Brad Wilson, the park district’s director of recreation. “We look forward to using the facility for all ages. … And, to have all different kinds of classes for all ages.”

Children, who participate in one of the park district’s two preschool programs, will begin meeting at the center for classes. The students are involved in nature-based, hands-on education, said Sandie Gilmer, the Naperville Park District’s manager for early childhood. They had been meeting at the . 

The new center, decorated with pint-sized furniture, is conducive to going outside for educational programs, Gilmer said. The preschoolers spend time outdoors even in winter, as long as the temperature doesn’t dip below 28 degrees. 

Students in the preschool program will get their first introduction to the new building with the rest of the community Saturday.

“We are excited because it is a brand new room,” Gilmer said. 

Over the winter, she said that nature projects for early childhood and youths 3-12 would also be held at the interpretive center. In addition, parent-tot classes, hiking and story times will be held. Family events will also be conducted at the center.

The interpretive center was built with green guidelines for everything from parking lot pavers, to building design, to the materials used inside the center, said Peggy Pelkonen, the Naperville Park District’s project manager.

The main goal of the site layout was to minimize the center’s footprint, Pelkonen said. The center was built on the old basketball courts at the park, rather than digging up more land.

The building was constructed with Leadership in Energy and Environmantal Design (LEED) standards, though the park district doesn’t plan to seek a LEED designation, she said.

To reduce the use of air conditioning, windows were placed at the top of the building and down low, she said. Fans are in place to help create ventilation and the windows face the trees, so that in the summer the sun will be blocked. Air conditioning shouldn’t be needed to cool the building.

Green materials used in the design include sorghum, which is a rapidly renewable grass, used for cabinet/seating in the building. Siding used inside the building is made locally of fiber cement that has a long life cycle, Pelkonen said. The material also insulates more efficiently. Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) paint was used along with linoleum in the interior.

The park district received an EPA grant to install permeable pavers, she said. The pavers slow and clean water as it makes it way back into the ground and water table. 

A detention area was built on the grounds to collect storm water, she said. Water is also collected in the detention area from the neighboring subdivisions. 

The park district received three grants amounting to about $600,000, which offset the cost of the renovation, Pelkonen said. The total cost was about $1.5 million.

The demand for green programs at the park district is of growing interest to residents, said Ray McGury, executive director of the park district.

“I think it’s a very exciting project because it is the first of its kind for us,” he said. “It is a great amenity for all citizens, but particularly for residents on the northeast side of Naperville.”