The Evanston Ecology Center opened its doors Wednesday after over a year of renovations.
About 100 visitors gathered in front of the building to hear speeches from Evanston Parks, Recreation and Community Services staff and witness a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the modernized center. The entirely city-funded construction began in March 2024 and was intended to address structural issues, improve infrastructure and increase the building’s use of renewable energy, Parks and Recreation Director Matt Poole said. The revitalized center includes updated furnishing, repainted walls and new flooring.
To kickstart the opening ceremony, Poole commended the Ecology Center’s staff for continuing their educational programs while the space was under construction. He also spoke about the center’s mission to improve the planet’s future by planting gardens, caring for animals and developing sustainable habits.
Having worked with the center for over ten years, Poole considers this moment a new chapter in the organization’s 50-year history.
“I can say that reopening this feels a bit like coming home,” Poole said. “I’m proud to see the return of beloved programs and excited for new and innovative experiences that will inspire the next generation.”
Evanston City Manager Luke Stowe acknowledged several councilmembers and city officials in attendance, inviting several of them to help cut the ribbon. With the snip of the scissors, guests were invited to explore the vast rooms of the Ecology Center.
The primary exhibit room features a variety of animals: a Chilean rose tarantula, three-toed box turtle, Madagascar hissing cockroach and emperor scorpion were among the dozens of critters on display.
The room was filled with visitors who wandered between each tank observing, taking photographs and learning about the diverse array of wildlife.
“I was definitely blown away by the room with the animals,” Oak Park resident Natalie Serratos said. “I honestly didn’t know it would have any live animals, and so it was really cute to just see them.”
Ecology Center instructor Audrey Eros cradled a rattle snake in her hand and answered questions from attendees as their fingers lightly stroked the scales. Eros explained that most of the animals housed at the Ecology Center are rescues and were temporarily relocated to other community facilities during the center’s renovation.
She added she hoped the new building’s extra space would allow for mammals, such as bunnies and guinea pigs, to join the center.
The event space and office also underwent significant changes. The Ecology Center’s lead program instructor Rafael Salinas said several renovations — such as the installation of LED lights and making the building carbon-free — were made with sustainable goals in mind.
“The intentions are ecology-centered, resourceful and keep the building sustainable,” Salinas said. “Those are the first things that we wanted to make sure people understand about it.”
The renovations were largely influenced by Evanston’s 2018 Climate Action and Resilience Plan, which called for all city buildings to have fully renewable electricity by 2030, along with carbon neutrality and zero waste by 2050.
Both the modern infrastructure and relaxed ambience resonated with Rogers Park resident Ben McCracken, who said he was thoroughly impressed by his first ever visit to the center.
“I love the rustic, sort of wooden architecture everywhere,” McCracken said. “The space has a lot of animals. If I was a child, I would love having fun here after school.”
The Ecology Center’s new facility will soon resume classroom field trips for all grade levels and plans to offer camps in the summer, according to Salinas.
Serratos thinks the renovated space is crucial to continuing the Ecology Center’s legacy as an important organization that promotes a positive environment and advocates for environmental issues.
“I think it’s just good to remind people of ways to be more conscious of the environment and how we could implement that into our society,” Serratos said. “It also seems really fun for people just to connect with nature and learn.”
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