RIVER FOREST (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A growing number of people have signed on to change the name of the 92-year-old Hal Tyrell Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest.
Jane Morocco recently sat down with WBBM at the museum, which was named for Cook County Commissioner Hal Tyrell following his death in 1990. Morocco, though, said the Trailside Museum should actually be named for the late Virginia Moe.
“Virginia Moe started the very first wildlife rehabilitation and education center here at Trailside Museum,” Morocco said.
Morocco, who worked at Trailside as a child and has written a book about Virginia Moe, has more than 1,300 signatures on a petition calling for the museum to be renamed for Moe, who died in 1989.
“She stayed [at the museum] for a little over 52 years,” Morocco said. “She lived on the premises and dedicated her whole, entire life not just to the animals of Cook County — but the people of Cook County.”
In a statement, the Forest Preserves told WBBM that it has not typically renamed a preserve or amenity when it would remove the recognition of an individual.
As for charges that it has not complied with the state's Open Meetings Act, the Forest Preserves said it is evaluating how to continue to review official names while ensuring it's in compliance.
“I just think that we can't erase Virginia Moe from the memory,” said Morocco, who used to ride her bike from Chicago's Austin neighborhood to the museum as a child. “She was just such a part of this community … she's actually just a local, a Midwest hero. Everybody loves her, she just did so much for the community. She never married, she dedicated her whole entire life to this community.”
Morocco added that Moe taught generations of children, including “at-risk” kids, valuable skills and lessons.
“She stayed here until her death in 1989,” Morocco said. “I think it was … not all about the animals, but about helping people.”
“You learn to love something when you take care of it,” she added. “I think as far as I'm concerned, and a lot of other kids who grew up around here … we love nature and animals, and I think it's because of Virginia Moe teaching that to us.”.
The museum is located at 738 Thatcher Ave. in River Forest.
The petition was originally covered in the Wednesday Journal.
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