The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Willowbrook Wildlife Center at 525 S. Park Blvd. in Glen Ellyn is hosting Santa and his wildlife friends at its “Talons and Claus” open house on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors can say hello to Santa and then purchase photo CDs or prints of their encounters for $10 each, which will support the center’s education and wildlife rehabilitation efforts. They can meet the center’s resident raptors and learn about all of the animals at Willowbrook. There will be fun crafts, tasty refreshments and, weather permitting, horse-drawn hayrides through 40 acres of woodlands and prairies.
Registration is not required for this all-ages event. With the exception of photos with Santa, “Talons and Claus” is free. Willowbrook’s parking lot is under construction and has a limited number of spaces, which are only for vehicles with disability plates or placards. All other visitors should park at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church across the street. For more on “Talons and Claus,” call Willowbrook Wildlife Center at 630-942-6200.
Willowbrook Wildlife Center also invites supporters to stop by the McCormick Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton throughout December to vote for the center’s “Owl Be Home for Christmas” tree, which features ornaments donated by the community. If its tree receives the most votes, Willowbrook receives $2,500. To highlight the program, Cantigny is hosting its own Celebrate the Season Holiday Festival open house on Dec. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns and manages 25,000 acres of prairies, woodlands and wetlands. Each year its 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, five education centers and scores of programs welcome over 4 million visitors. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube pages.