Dan Hebreard, president of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, will give a free public presentation Friday, Aug. 28, at 12:30 p.m. at the Lombard Community Building, 433 E. St. Charles Road in Lombard.

The Wheaton Garden Club is hosting Hebreard, a 20-year veteran of the district who oversees 26,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, wetlands and waterways across 60 forest preserves. The district's trails, education centers and programs draw more than 5.9 million visitors a year, according to its 2026 budget announcement.

No specific agenda has been announced beyond a general presentation on the district. The district has had an active year: its board approved a $151 million budget for 2026, a 5% increase over the prior year, with $69.6 million earmarked for capital projects. Those include a new Grounds and Natural Resources Management Campus in West Chicago and habitat restoration at multiple preserves.

In May, Hebreard celebrated the groundbreaking of the final 0.7-mile segment of the 26-mile West Branch DuPage River Trail, an $8.5 million project connecting Blackwell and West DuPage Woods forest preserves with a 750-foot pedestrian bridge over Route 38.

"This project is about more than one bridge … It connects forest preserves, communities, and regional trails while turning years of planning and partnerships into a safer, continuous route residents can enjoy," Hebreard said at the May 9 groundbreaking.

The district is also participating in Illinois Shines, a statewide community solar program, and has installed solar panel arrays at Blackwell, Danada Equestrian Center and the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center. Hebreard practices what the district preaches: his family's home is entirely powered by solar energy.

No registration is required.

Hebreard holds a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and facilities management from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Benedictine University. The event is organized by Beth Sawyer.