Foundation support helps Hidden Oaks inspire nature exploration

(Photo by Meghan McMahon)

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Hidden Oaks Preserve in Bolingbrook offers numerous indoor and outdoor opportunities to learn about, explore and connect with nature. The Nature Foundation of Will County is proud to support the programs and activities that enhance visitor experiences.

Our support is felt across the Preserve campus, which is home to the nature center and Hidden Lakes Trout Farm and connects to Whalon Lake by a foot path. Inside the Hidden Oaks Nature Center, visitors can learn about wildlife that lives in Illinois and beyond by interacting with its resident reptiles and amphibians. Outside, a bird-feeding station bustles with birds as well as a few visitors of the furry variety.

“We’ve provided funds for Forest Preserve staff to purchase STEM/STEAM educational supplies and equipment that can be used for field trips and public programs and interpretive and informational signs and other amenities that enhance the visitor experiences at Hidden Oaks,” said Tara Neff, executive director of The Nature Foundation.

We also secured funds from the Vulcan Materials Company Foundation to install native plant gardens near the nature center and to stock fish in advance of the popular fishing derbies at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm.

“Collectively, this support helps take the visitor experience to the next level,” said Angie Opiola, Hidden Oaks facility supervisor.

“These tangibles provide the link or pathways into the hearts of the visitors,” she said. “These opportunities are made possible by The Nature Foundation and its generous donors,” she added.

Hidden Oaks is the Forest Preserve District’s newest nature center, having been acquired from the Bolingbrook Park District in 2022. The commitment to the community began even before the nature center underwent extensive renovations, closing it to the public from winter 2024 to spring 2025.

From the start, Angie said Forest Preserve staff opened a dialogue with the community about what they like about the nature center and what improvements they would like to see. In the early days, they also hosted art exhibits with local groups and collaborated with the village, Park District and The Conservation Foundation on events and programs.

“We wanted to be a friendly, familiar face to families and community members,” Angie said. “It was important to us that they consider us an asset and a valuable resource within the neighborhood.”

Hosting art exhibits remains a constant at the nature center, and we recently invited donors to a special VIP reception with artist Elizabeth Schnura, whose oil paintings are on display in the “Big Helpers: Mutualism Magnified” exhibit through July 19. During the reception, Liz talked about her paintings and her process as well as how she is inspired by all the things she sees in nature. Afterward, she mingled with donors and guests as they explored the exhibit and the nature center.

Bob and Caroline Lewis were among those in attendance, thrilled at the opportunity to see another Forest Preserve art exhibit and hear directly from the artist about her work. The Lewises have lived near Whalon Lake since before it was a forest preserve, and Bob, a Forest Preserve volunteer, has walked their dogs at Whalon Lake and Hidden Oaks for decades.

“We like participating in the events that they have here, especially the arts,” Bob said.

Giving people many reasons to visit the Preserve is all part of the plan.  Whether people come to check out the latest exhibit, spend time watching the animal ambassadors or spend the day fishing, staff engage people in different ways to help them foster reverence and respect for the natural world.

“You learn by playing and doing and trying on and touching,” Angie said. “By the time you are done, you are exhausted but full of knowledge you may not have been aware of.”

Keeping visitors engaged and connected is just one of the ways our impact is felt around Hidden Oaks. With our support, they can purchase the materials and supplies that allow people to have new, ever-changing experiences — and keep coming back.

“We love when we hook people,” Angie said. “So many of our patrons are returning customers who cannot get enough of us. The nature center is always fresh and new with no shortage of new natural discoveries to explore.”

Up next, continuing its commitment to bringing fresh and new exhibits to the nature center, the Forest Preserve is opening, “Hummingbirds in Motion: Zarinelli Art,” on August 1.  It shows the work of local artist and actor Jeff C. Zarinelli, whose painting technique captures the essence of life through old masters’ techniques.

We hope you’ll take the opportunity to visit the preserve and check it out!