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Wildlife Discovery Center
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Welcome
to the
Wildlife Discovery Center
1401 Middlefork Drive
Lake
Forest, IL |
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MISSION: “To promote and encourage a deep sense of love,
respect, admiration, and stewardship of all wildlife and their
habitat through education, conservation, preservation,
rehabilitation, research, field studies, and outdoor recreation and
adventure programs.”
Reptile Rampage!
The
Wildlife Discovery Center is a facility that promotes
programs that are geared for people of all ages who have an
interest in plants, wildlife and the environment. Education,
recreation and responsible stewardship through real life
experiences are the primary focuses of this program. People
will learn how important it is to respect the delicate
balance between the needs of wildlife and the needs of other
and how we all can exist together with a deep sense of
respect for conservation of our dwindling and precious
natural resources. Over 100 species, comprising of reptiles,
amphibians and raptors, represent our collection.
The “Grass
Is Rattling” exhibit features the nation’s largest public
exhibit of rattlesnake in addition to many other venomous
species, including “Thai” the 14 foot King Cobra. Over 10,000 students
have completed the Grass Is Rattling
Conservation Education Program for Middle School Students.
If your school is interested in participating, give us a
call. We have received countless compliments on how
wonderful the program is.
There are
no fees to visit the exhibits which feature
crocodilians, giant snakes, the rare Crocodile Monitor, the
Alligator Snapping Turtle and a host of other reptiles.
A variety
of programs/activities will be offered including wildlife
education, field biology/ecology study programs, self guided
nature hikes, wildlife ecology trips to various destinations
in the Midwest, after school and weekend activities, family
and special events, adult programs, workshops, field trips,
school day off programs and volunteer animal caretaker
opportunities, and more. Programs offered are for preschool,
elementary, middle school, high school and adults.
Grass is Rattling
Brochure (419k -
2 pages).
To Download a Registration Form.
(21k -
2 pages). To view the pages of the brochure see below
for the PDF files of our winter brochure.
Spring/Summer Brochure Wildlife
Discovery Programs (142k - 3 pages)
Winter Brochure Wildlife
Discovery Programs (254k - 3 pages)
Winter Brochure Preschool
Wildlife Discovery Programs (150k -
2 pages)
PROGRAM FORMS
Wildlife
Trips - Profile Form (50k -
1 page)
Wildlife
Trips - Code of Conduct (53k
- 1 page)
Wildlife
Trips - Medical Release Form (65k
- 1 page)
Welcome to the Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm’s web
page! If you have never heard of us, let me briefly
introduce you to a place that is home to some of the world’s
most beautiful, endangered and spectacular reptiles and
birds of prey. From common Illinois species to some of the
most bizarre creatures on earth such as the venomous
Rhinoceros Viper of Africa or the “Lizard of Mystery”; the
Crocodile Monitor lizard from New Guinea; we’ve got it all!
We even have the largest public display of live rattlesnakes
in the U.S.! This new display, called the Grass Is Rattling,
which was made possible by a generous grant from TAP
Pharmaceutical Products Inc. This new program and exhibit is
a conservation education program about rattlesnakes and
other wildlife, in addition to the rarity and complexity of
the Middlefork Savanna, the finest, black soil tall grass
savanna in the country, is also part of the exhibit. This
education program is for 5th through 8th grade school
groups, however, other grades can be incorporated too. It is
our hope to make this web site fun, informative,
educational, interactive and encourage our viewers to
participate. If you ever have any ideas, please contact me
at: 847-615-4388 or
carmichr@cityoflakeforest.com.
The Wildlife Discovery Center was founded by Rob Carmichael in
the fall of 1996. He had a vision of seeing a large scale wildlife
conservation education facility and program being run through the
Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Department. At the time, he was
running a variety of athletic programs for the recreation department
but deep down, wildlife was his passion (and is reflected in his
academic background: A.S. degree in Biology, M.S. degree in
Environmental Education, and currently working on PhD in
Herpetology). In the mid 1990’s the Recreation Department underwent
major construction to build a new fitness center, add additional
dance studios and a new diner. This project left the old fitness
room vacant (25 feet x 20 feet) and the Park and Recreation Board
challenged the staff to come up with some ideas on this this space
could be used. Rob Carmichael made a proposal to the Lake Forest
Park and Recreation Board to start a new program area of Nature and
Adventure. With the support of the Past Director, Fred Jackson,
and the current Superintendent of Recreation, Wendy McKiernan, the
board unanimously approved this concept with the understanding that
it would not cost any tax payer money to operate. So, Rob began
getting the word out and received a small grant in the amount of
$500 from the Chicago Herpetological Society to purchase some cages
for this new nature center. With 8 cages on display in this room,
and a lot of drive and passion from the staff (who at the time
consisted of just Rob), the Wildlife Discovery Center was officially
“in business”. Our beginnings were very modest offering just a few
after school classes and a small summer camp but 8 years later, this
program now reaches over 20,000 people annually. Soon, the WDC
outgrew its accommodations at the Lake Forest Recreation Center and
it was time to start pursuing other options.
In November of 2003, the Wildlife Discovery Center, which had
previously been housed at the Lake Forest Recreation Center, moved
to Elawa Farm located at 1401 Middlefork Drive in Lake Forest,
Illinois. This move was made possible by a public and private
partnership consisting of The City of Lake Forest, Lake Forest Open
Lands Association, Lake County Forest Preserve District and the
Preserve of Middlefork Farm. Once the property was purchased by The
City of Lake Forest, it was time to start visioning what could be
done. The Elawa Farm Commission was formed and they began the task
of raising funds and awareness to restore these historically
significant buildings. This dedicated group represented a variety of
organizations including the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation,
Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Historical Society, School District 67, Lake
Forest Open Lands Association, City of Lake Forest, Preserve of
Middlefork Farm and the general public. For the past two years, the
Lake Forest Garden Club has been restoring the formal gardens and
the work they have done is truly inspirational; even if you are not
a gardener, you can’t help but appreciate the magnitude of this
project, the work they have done, and the spectacular views of many
flowers, fruits, and vegetables being grown there. Our resident
herbivorous reptiles certainly benefit as they get the leftovers of
the produce that cannot be sold in the stores…YUM, YUM!
Elawa Farm was built and designed in 1917 by world renowned
architects Alfred Hopkins and David Adler. Elawa Farm (which stands
for Elsa and A. Watson Armour) is the last fully intact gentleman’s
farm in the Midwest and will soon be on the National Historic
Register. In 2003, we completed the first phase of the three phase
restoration in order to relocate the Wildlife Discovery Center. And
now, we have something so unique, that you will not find anything
else like it in North America!
Our wildlife center includes zoo and museum quality indoor
exhibits showcasing a variety of reptiles, amphibians and fish in
natural looking habitats. Additionally, we converted our
administrative office into a visitor center to allow for more
wildlife viewing opportunities. This new exhibit, called “The Grass
Is Rattling”, features the nation’s largest public exhibit of
rattlesnakes! Additionally, we also have three outdoor bird of prey
enclosures showing off our red tailed hawk, Harris’ hawk and a great
horned owl. We feel that we have one of the most unique facilities
of its kind. We don’t know of any other place in Illinois, or the
nation, where you can see animals that you normally would only see
in a large zoo but with the close up intimacy of a nature center
allowing for close encounters…the best of both worlds. If that is
not enough, we have over 800 acres of hiking/biking trails on the
Middlefork Savanna; owned by the Lake County Forest Preserve
District. Many bird watchers “flock” to this site to see many
endangered species such as the Bob-O-Link and much more.
Our professional staff are called upon often to assist in various
wildlife rescues that include reptiles and birds of prey. We do not
respond to calls involving “nuisance” animals such as skunk,
raccoons, and opossums (we do care about these animals but are not
equipped to take the many calls that come in). Most of our rescues
are limited to reptiles and raptors. We assist the USFWS, DNR, and
local and federal law enforcement agencies in matters involving
wildlife trafficking and we have our share of entertaining stories
to tell (maybe for a future newsletter!).
In addition to our public displays, we offer a host of wildlife
conservation education classes from preschool to adults. We host the
annual Reptile Rampage event on the first Sunday of March which
showcases some of the finest private reptile collections in North
America. Admission is $5 and this event
takes place at the Lake Forest Recreation Center located at 400
Hastings Road, Lake Forest, Illinois, 60045. All proceeds goes into
our Wildlife Fund to help us operate.
If you are a teacher, scout leader, camp director, or some other
coordinator looking to spice up your event or curriculum, look no
further. We have something for everyone! Your group can either come
to our farm, or, we’ll bring the zoo to your location! The Wildlife
Discovery Center is also a great place to host your next birthday
party! We can customize our presentations to meet your specific
needs.
And if that is not enough, our facility offers many wildlife
ecology trips for students in 6-12 grades. Trips include the Central
Michigan University Biological Station on Beaver Island, Michigan,
the Shawnee National Forest in downstate Illinois and our annual
bald eagle trek to the Mississippi Palisades State Park. We also
operate “The Ridge” teams and high ropes course and offer a host of
outdoor education and adventure programs which include indoor and
outdoor rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking and much more. If you have
an adventurous spirit and would like more information on our
adventure program or teams/high ropes course, contact Edward Gudas,
Program Supervisor, at 847.615.4386. There is something for
everyone!
Behind the scenes, our professional and knowledgeable staff
ensure that our animals get the finest in care. We have as many
animals off display as we have on display and they include venomous
reptiles and several important captive breeding programs we are
participating in including the rare, eastern Massasauga rattlesnake,
the eastern indigo snake, the gila monster and blanding’s turtle. We
are leaders in the industry in having been successful at captive
breeding some of the world’s rarest as well as common but rarely
bred reptiles (not to mention many exotic species such as green tree
pythons, African bush vipers, Indonesian white lipped vipers,
eastern indigo snakes, gila monsters and much more). We even hold
several longevity records among U.S. zoos.
Meet Our
Staff
Rob Carmichael, Curator of the Wildlife
Discovery Center, founded the Wildlife Discovery Center in
1996 shortly after receiving his M.S. degree in Environmental
Education/Biology from George Williams College. Currently, he
serves as Curator and Director. He is currently working on his
PhD program focusing on behavioral patterns of the Eastern
Massasauga Rattlesnake. In addition to serving as Curator of
the WDC, Rob also teaches part time (science methods and
wildlife ecology/field biology) at Trinity International
University, Deerfield, Illinois and coaches the baseball team.
Rob has a passion for herpetology that started when he was
just four years old. He also has a twin brother, Dr. Chris
Carmichael, who is also a herpetologist and is a biology
professor at Malone College in Canton, Ohio where he began a
new major called “Zoo Biology” for those students wishing to
have a career working at a zoo. An experienced professional in
the field, Rob has successfully captive bred many rare
reptiles in addition to staying on the cutting edge of reptile
husbandry practices, however, as this field goes, he is
continually learning new things and would never claim to be an
expert; only the animals are!. Over the past six years, his
efforts have concentrated on the Eastern Indigo Snake, Eastern
Massasauga Rattlesnake and the Gila Monster. He has also
successfully bred over 25 species of reptiles including
venomous species. Rob leads many workshops for zoo and museum
professionals in matters involving reptile husbandry and
proper venomous snake management. Over the years, he has
consulted with several nature centers and zoos in assisting
them in designing new facilities. He has also presented at
such places as the International Herpetological Symposium, the
Biology of the Rattlesnake Symposium, the International
Symposium on Massasaugas, International Wildlife World
Congress, Illinois Parks & Recreation Association’s annual
conference, North American Herpetology Congress, American Zoo
and Aquarium Association, and the Chicago Herpetological
Society. Additionally, he lectures at area colleges,
universities and zoos and museums.
As Curator, his duties are endless but include the overall
direction of the WDC (budgeting, developing the program,
serving on several boards/commissions, liaison with various
school districts, hiring and training staff and volunteers,
curriculum writing and development, writing the newsletter,
field research, leading summer herpetology trips, exhibit
design, and being in charge of taking care of the venomous
reptile collection….just to start!). Never a dull day around
here!
Rob is married to a woman who is Mayan Indian and she is a 5th
grade teacher and they have two daughters who are competitive
gymnasts, divers and dancers and budding herpetologists. At home,
Rob has household pets including two Rottweilers, over 25 snakes,
and a few other odd and ends. His family enjoys backpacking, hiking,
camping, kayaking, rock climbing, bird watching, golf, baseball,
and, of course, reptiles.
Edward Gudas, Program Supervisor, is also known as
“Mr. Edventure” not only because of his adventurous spirit but also
because he leads our many adventure and outdoor recreation programs.
You may see him leading a rock climbing trip on one day and a
kayaking clinic the next. Additionally, Edward coordinates The
Ridge; one of the finest high ropes/teams courses around. It isn’t
often that you get to design your own teams/high ropes facility but
that is the challenge we gave Edward and we feel he has designed a
facility that is second to none. All of the feedback we have
received from groups have been entirely positive and, hopefully, as
the word gets out, more groups will take advantage of this wonderful
resource. Edward has a Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Rec from SIU and
recently completed a M.S. degree in Adventure Education from Aurora
University. This shows Edward’s commitment to the field and he is
going to be a leader in the field in no time. Edward is married and
has done an outstanding job for us. In his spare time he enjoys the
great outdoors (DUH!) and seems to have found his new favorite home
away from home….QUETICO. Edward teaches some of our wildlife
conservation education classes and has developed himself into quite
a good reptile guy; watch out Jeff Corwin!
Lindy VanVlissingen, Preschool Nature Teacher and
Wildlife Program Group Coordinator, is a self taught naturalist who
has a burning passion for learning about the natural world…and she
has the longest job title in our department! Her responsibilities
are many and even include helping us care for our animals for which
she does an outstanding job. Lindy is our Director of the Nature
Detectives Camp which has grown to be a very popular program. She is
also our primary instructor for our various preschool nature
classes. After school, Lindy teaches two elementary aged classes and
has created quite a name for herself as someone who is very
knowledgeable about the environment. Her classes continue to fill up
and we are now looking at ways to expand our classes so everyone can
have a chance to be around Lindy. If you need to book a birthday
party, scout group program, or other special group gathering, Lindy
is the person to talk to. She graduated with a B.A. degree from
Kenyan College. Lindy and her husband, David, live in Lake Forest
and have three children.
Bryan Suson, Head Keeper at the Wildlife Discovery
Center, graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in environmental science
from Lake Forest College and currently serves as our Head Animal
Keeper at the WDC. Bryan, like Rob, has a passion for reptiles that
started in his youth and he made an immediate impact on our center
when he first arrived. He brings a vast knowledge about reptiles to
our program, and, in addition to taking care of many of our reptiles
and raptors, Bryan also teaches many of our wildlife education
classes, lectures to large groups, leads birthday parties and
assists on our wilderness trips. Although Bryan has extensive
knowledge about many types of reptiles, he is currently focusing his
home collection on breeding two types: Panther Chameleons and Green
Tree Pythons. He has quite an impressive collection and has
accomplished much in his young career! Bryan completed our 3-day
Venomous Reptile Management Certification Program and is now taking
care of a number of our venomous reptiles including rattlesnakes, a
couple of cobras and various viperids. Bryan’s success is no doubt
related to his sincere passion for reptiles and knowing how to take
that passion and share it with the general public.
When Bryan isn’t working or thinking about reptiles, he does have
life “after scales”. He is quite a hoops player and even better
hacky sack dude! His girlfriend is a budding herpetologist (I wonder
why?). Many people also don’t know that Bryan, even at his young
age, is an accomplished musky fisherman. His musky resume puts many
older adults to shame and he is a leader in the area of this sport.
The patience he has developed in musky fishing spills over to his
role as animal keeper. When he completed an internship with us, one
of his primary responsibilities was to develop a captive husbandry
program for seven White Lipped Vipers that were born at our
facility. Trying to coax seven baby vipers from Indonesia to feed is
a daunting task! But, he did a great job in getting these babies to
feed and they are now doing very well. Bryan has traveled to
Australia and Costa Rica looking for herps….and he sure found quite
a few!
Matt Campbell, Exhibit Consultant, is a full-time
keeper at the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Reptile and Small Mammal House. He
has been a valuable asset in updating our data files and
incorporating some of the procedures used at an internationally
recognized zoo at the WDC. He has helped us improve a number of our
exhibits. Matt is a former board member of the Chicago
Herpetological Society and has an extensive collection of reptiles
at home. Although Matt isn’t here on a regular basis, you can’t miss
him as he is usually the guy with the pony tail, long beard and a
KILT (The WDC encourages individual expression and Matt sure enjoys
wearing his well ventilated Kilts…thankfully, its not too breezy
inside the WDC!).
Laura Hilstrom, Animal Keeper/Raptor Specialist, is
a full-time aquarist/keeper at the world famous John G. Shedd
Aquarium in Chicago! She has many responsibilities there and it’s
always nice to have someone from a world renowned facility working
for us on a part time basis. Although her expertise is fish, she has
spent a lot of time working at raptor centers and her expertise in
proper handling of birds of prey is a welcome asset to the WDC. She
has also made spot appearances in our many classes and has done an
exceptional job taking on these challenges. In addition to helping
us out at the WDC, Laura also spends time assisting Barnswallow, a
raptor rehabilitation/education center, with their many raptors that
are in rehab in addition to their permanent education birds.
Thomas Andersen, Raptor
Trainer/Instructor/Animal Keeper
Gavin Brink, Animal Keeper/Instructor
Rachel Grill, Ass't Animal Keeper
Becky Horwitz, Summer Intern
Kacey Tait, Volunteer
Wildlife Discovery Center
Hours and Self-Guided Tours
Stop by and visit our amazing collection of animals. Each
exhibit contains interesting information, and we always have
a staff on hand who will have a few animals out for you to
enjoy, touch and hold (except venomous species of course!).
Admission is free, however, donations are recommend.
Schedules vary from season to season so before you visit,
please call our information line at 847-234-6702 or contact the
Curator at 847-615-4388 or via email at
carmichr@cityoflakeforest.com.
Summer Drop-in Hours:
| Exhibit: |
Exhibit Areas |
| Sundays |
CLOSED |
| Mondays |
10:00a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| Tuesdays |
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| Wednesdays |
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| Thursdays |
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| Fridays |
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| Saturdays |
10:00am-1:00pm |
NOTE: We recommend calling 847-234-6702 (Wildlife Discovery
Center info line on the Lake Forest Park and Recreation
Department information hotline) prior to your visit. The
building will periodically close for special events, and hours
may vary from season to season--particularly during the
holidays. If you have a small group that wants to visit the
Center, we
recommend calling to confirm that the building is open prior
to your visit.
In this section, we will highlight one of our “family
members” so that you can begin to learn about the many
beautiful and unique animals that call the Wildlife Discovery
Center their permanent home.
"Curly the Red-tailed Hawk"
This month's featured animal is "Curly" the Red-tailed
Hawk. Curly has been with us since 1999 where he came from
S.O.A.R. (Save Our American Raptors). Stolen as a baby at
just a few days of age, the person committing this illegal
act was planning on raising the baby hawk just long enough
for him to be full grown and then having him mounted and
sold on the black market. While in this person's possession,
Curly was abused and it was only by the acts of a
neighborhood boy who discovered this that saved Curly's
life. The person was convicted and Curly went to a wildlife
rehabilitation center where despite the best in care, it was
deemed that this bird would never be able to enjoy freedom
again. Once a bird of prey like this becomes imprinted on
humans, it's nearly impossible to release them back to the
wild. The name "Curly" came from when he was just a baby -
when he arrived at the rehab center, the staff said he
looked like a ball of "curly" feathers so the name stuck.
Over the years as a resident of the WDC, Curly has
educated literally thousands of people as he has educated
and entertained the masses. Since 1999, this bird was used
in educational programs but always tethered to the leather
glove of the handler. In 2009, that all changed! Thomas
Andersen, a native of Denmark, came to the WDC as a result
of his wife, Elizabeth, surprising him with a visit to the
WDC as she knew how much he loved raptors. In his native
Denmark, Thomas worked as a keeper and trainer at some of
his country's finest zoos. His wife, manager of birds at
Lincoln Park Zoo, lured him to the states where they both
worked as handlers at Natural Encounters which focuses on
using flighted birds
 in educational shows. On this surprise
visit to the WDC, Thomas introduced Rob Carmichael, Curator,
to the idea of free flying the birds....without any
equipment! Needless to say, Rob was more than just a bit
hesitant but once he took the time to better understand this
unique philosophy, he was sold on the idea of seeing Curly
fly free.
And so the training began. The process to train a bird to
fly is slow and gradual and always based on positive
rewards. In time, Curly gained the trust of his human
counterparts and within three months, he took his maiden
voyage....a successful free flight! Day after day his
flights got longer and more effortless . The staff decided
one day to take him off site to fly just to see how he would
react. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite according to
plan and during one of his flights between handlers, he flew
off. Now, in most circumstances, that is nothing to be
concerned about as we do have an insurance policy in the
form of a radio transmitter attached to his anklet. What we
didn't know was that the radio would malfunction and for 20
hours we desperately searched for our lost bird. The WDC
staff spread out and began the search. Thankfully, we did
find Curly and we returned him safe and sound. With new
equipment in hand, we started training all over again and
now he's back to his old self enjoying the freedom of
flight. Many people have watched the training sessions and
we have incorporated this into our school field trip program
and the students are spellbound by this bird's beauty. When
not flying, he rests comfortably in his spacious cage where
he enjoys playing with sticks, playing in his water pan and
looking out at the most beautiful sunset in the area.
What animals currently reside at the WDC?
Following is a list of the animals that currently reside at the
WDC. We don’t always guarantee that a certain animal will be here
when you visit because there are times where animals go to other
zoos on breeding loans. Here’s our FAMILY:
Birds: Red-tailed Hawk, Harris’ Hawk, Screech Owl, Great Horned
Owl
Turtles/Tortoises: Eastern Box Turtle, Blanding’s Turtle,
Spotted Turtle, Loggerhead Musk Turtle, Star Tortoise,
Gopher Tortoise
Crocodilians: American Alligator, Dwarf Caiman, Spectacled Caiman,
Saltwater Crocodile
Lizards: Leopard Gecko, Blue Tongued Skink, Rhinoceros Iguanas,
Crocodile Monitor, Giant Argentine Tegus, Gila Monster,
Bearded Lizard, Henkel's Leaf Tailed Gecko and the
Australian Knob Tailed Gecko
Snakes: Rattlesnakes (we have the “largest public
collection of rattlesnakes in the U.S."),
Illinois’ four venomous snakes (Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Eastern Massasauga, Timber Rattlesnake), Gaboon Viper, Rhinoceros Viper,
Sedge Viper, Puff Adder, Desert Horned Viper, Saw Scaled Viper,
Bamboo Viper, Eyelash Viper, Bushmaster, Egyptian Cobra, Coral
Cobra, Jameson’s Mamba, Western Green Mamba, Banded Egyptian Cobra,
King Cobra, Black Pakistan Cobra, Chinese Cobra, Coral Cobra, Eastern Hognose Snake, Garter Snake, Fox
Snake, great plains Ratsnake, Smooth Green Snake, Eastern Milksnake,
Bullsnake, Black Ratsnake, Western Coachwhip Snake, Everglades Ratsnake,
Tiger Ratsnake,
Sinaloan Milksnake, Rosy Boas, Transpecos Ratsnake, Amazon Tree Boa,
Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Boa Constrictor, Burmese Python, Reticulated
Python, Jungle Carpet Python, Coastal Carpet Python, Green Tree
Python, Borneo Short Tailed Python, and the Eastern Indigo Snake, Speckled Kingsnake, Tri-Colored Hognose Snake, Great Lakes Bush Viper.
How can you help?
We have many opportunities that you can help us out with. We do
not receive any tax revenue to operate so we rely solely on the
generosity of our community. If you are interested in making a tax
deductible donation, contact Rob Carmichael at 847-615-4388 or email
him at:
carmichr@cityoflakeforest.com and he
will give you information on how you can make a donation. Another
great way to get involved is to sponsor an animal through our A.D.O.P.T. program (Animals Depend On People Too). For an annual fee
of $110, you can have your name, family name or company name proudly
displayed on the exhibit of your sponsored animal. You will receive
a gift packet for your generous help.
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