The Forest Preserves of Cook County seal is pictured on a podium at a meeting in July 2023. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

The Forest Preserves of Cook County are celebrating $2 million in renovations and improvements at the Crabtree Nature Center, which officials say will lower the building’s carbon footprint while improving the experience for visitors.

The 50-year-old center, which first opened its doors in the 1970s, received most of the funding for its recent improvements through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Public Museum Capital Grants program, according to a district news release. The news comes during a year in which the district has more money and resources at its disposal than it has in the past several years.