Name of letterbox: Prairie Rose
My name: P. Granola (p2jd@aol.com)
Date Placed: 4-13-03
Placed in honor of the restored prairie effort at Willowbrook Wildlife Center
Difficulty: Easy
State: Illinois
County: Dupage
City: Glen Ellyn
Location: Willowbrook Wildlife Center
Directions: A few Miles West of 355 on Roosevelt Rd (route 38). Take
Roosevelt road to Park Blvd. Turn South onto Park Blvd., travel about 3
miles. Willowbrook Wildlife Center is located on the West side of the
street; there is a brown sign at the entrance.
History: The Willowbrook Wildlife Center is a part of the DuPage County Fores
t Preserve District. Primarily it is a center for the care and
rehabilitation of injured wildlife. There are indoor and outdoor displays of
animals that are too damaged to be released into the wild but well enough not
to be euthanized. The center is a great family attraction. Make sure you
visit indoors and then look around outside at the Koi pond, prairie garden
and wild animals.
Behind the nature center there are hiking trails that take the visitor
through a variety of ecosystems (deciduous forest, savannah, pond & prairie)
Clues: After you have toured the center and wandered around outside, make
your way to the path that reads "nature trails" (It's located between the red
tailed hawks and passenger pigeons cages). If you would like you can take a
trail map out of the mailbox located to the right. (Just make sure to put
the map back when you are done.) Cross the bridge and you will come to a
fork in the road. Turn left and begin walking. The DuPage River will be on
your left and the savannah will be on your right. Continue walking and be
sure to read the interpretive signs along the way. You will walk in a loop,
as you travel the savannah will turn into prairie. Read the signs carefully.
When you see the sign that says" Restoration and Management" you will want
to stop. In front of the sign there will be beautiful prairie, if you look to
your left you will see Muskrat Pond. You will want to look to your right and
retrace your steps by about twenty paces. There will be a tiny path on your
right that you can take. You will see a bench, you might want to stop and
rest for a while! From the end of the bench you will continue to walk about
20 paces. Stop and look to your left, (if you pass the two stands of trees
with the woodpile in between them you have gone too far.) Now look into the
woods on your left, start walking, and look for the tree whose roots look
like a spider. Walk over the three thick roots and stop. If you have a
compass you will want to look about 60 degrees to the East. (If you don't
have a compass look ahead and slightly to the right.) You will see a large
tree with a smaller one that has fallen over next to it. The smaller tree
looks like a bent elbow. Travel to those trees and look for the Prairie Rose
box. Happy hunting!!
Caution: Watch out! There is poison ivy in the woods but none noted where the
box was placed


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