Cincinnati Nature Center

As a lover of all things nature, you’ve probably heard the buzz about the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Program (OCVN)—a course that is hosted at sites throughout the state, including Cincinnati Nature Center, in partnership with the Ohio State University Extension, with the mission of “promoting awareness and citizen stewardship of Ohio’s natural resources through science-based education and community service.” Perhaps you’ve thought about signing up, but it’s been difficult to fit a 40-hour educational course into your busy schedule. Solution? Consider the 100% online, Winter Cohort starting January 14, 2025. This cohort is the most convenient way to meet the certification requirements for the education component of the course and can be done from anywhere as long as you have access to a computer! Evening lectures take place live on Zoom where you can talk with presenters and classmates from the comfort of your own home. No winter weather advisories to get in the way! Plus, the required 12 hours self-guided outdoor assignments will get you outside, whenever and wherever you choose! So, what can you expect? The Winter OCVN Cohort is all-online, every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6–8 pm on Zoom starting Tuesday, January 14 and ending Thursday, February 27, 2025. This winter, join the over 600 nature lovers who have become OCVNs graduates at Cincinnati Nature Center! The application deadline is Friday, January 10, but spots fill fast, so don’t delay! #CincyNature #Naturalist #Volunteer #NaturalResources

We are happy to announce that we earned third place out of 133 charitable organizations in the Cincinnati Gives 10-Day Challenge. With the support of 241 generous donors, we raised a total of $68,498! Plus, because of you, we won $5,500 in cash prizes + one free full page ad in Cincinnati Magazine. THANK YOU for turning your inspiration into action, and helping us continued our mission of Inspiring Conservation. But this fundraising season is not over yet!✨ Help us continue to reach our fundraising goal, now through December 31. Click here to donate today: https://lnkd.in/g74knZXZ #CincyNature #Nonprofit #Fundraising #Conservation #Inspiration

We are happy to announce that construction at our Long Branch Farm & Trails entrance is NOW COMPLETE and the new bridge is safe for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic! The main entrance on Gaynor Road is now open regular operating hours to members-only, 8 am–5 pm daily. Not a member? Get 10% off all Standard and Plus memberships now through December 31! Our heartfelt thanks to ALL those involved and who supported this critical project! Visit our website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gNpZ_was #CincyNature #Bridge #Construction

We won third place in 2022, and we took home second place in 2023. This year, help us win FIRST PLACE and the $10,000 grand prize in the 10-Day Cincinnati Gives Challenge, hosted by Cincinnati Magazine, where local nonprofits battle it out in a friendly fundraising competition to win cash prizes. Help us win our first bonus challenge TOMORROW! The organization to raise the most on Tuesday, December 3 (Giving Tuesday) wins an additional $1,500. To make your donation count, please give through the Cincinnati Gives webpage (below) now through December 12, 5 pm. https://lnkd.in/gi2EsuUs #CincyNature #CincinnatiGives2024 #Nonprofit #Fundraising

You help us GLOW! ✨ Did you know that purchasing a ticket to any of our seasonal fundraising events, like Light in the Forest, directly impacts our mission? As a private nonprofit, the Nature Center is not supported by your tax dollars. Instead, fundraising events and donations from individuals like you are crucial to our conservation efforts, habitat restoration, scientific research, educational opportunities for all ages, nature preschool, and much more. Explore NEW interactive nature-themed light displays by regional artists, enjoy live music, holiday shopping, food and cookie trucks, festive libations, and much more at this year's Light in the Forest, December 5–29. Visit www.CincyNature.org to purchase tickets today! #CincyNature #Fundraising #Cincinnati #Holiday

We're #hiring a new Senior Major Gifts Officer in Cincinnati, Ohio. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Our mission is deeply rooted in inspiration. Each day, our dedicated staff and passionate volunteers work tirelessly to protect the beauty and diversity of our land. Whether you’re inspired by nature’s grandeur or sharing nature with others, or by our ongoing conservation efforts, turn that inspiration into action. With your support, we continue to do what we do best—Inspire Conservation. And your generosity empowers us to inspire more people and to achieve even greater things! Your year-end investment is crucial and every gift counts. Visit our website to give today: https://lnkd.in/gFDFf5iU #CincyNature #Nonprofit #Inspiration #Conservation

Four unique sculptural portals, set along the trails of our Old Growth Forest, incorporate visual elements inspired by those found at Cincinnati Nature Center—each functioning as a “seek and find” for visitors. Each piece, created by artists Molly Jo Burke and Nathan Gorgen of Byproduct Studios, provides an enchanting, new perspective of our trail system. Earth Expressions: Forest Portals, funded in part by ArtsWave and the National Endowment for the Arts, is on exhibit at Rowe Woods, now to January 2025. You can also view exhibits “Krippendorf Pawpaw Grove”, “Fauna”, and “Field Flora” from this year’s Light in the Forest trail. Click here to learn more about the artists and each piece: https://lnkd.in/gfCaBirK #CincyNature #CincinnatiArt #Art

Thank you to the Cincinnati Business Courier for covering our Field Station groundbreaking and the start of our game-changing conservation efforts! "The Center for Conservation Field Station will help further the Cincinnati Nature Center's mission of inspiring conservation through personal experiences, education and care for the land,” Chris Hopper, executive vice president and general manager for Skanska, said.

On October 9, we held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a brand-new Center for Conservation's Field Station at Long Branch Farm and Trails. This field station is expected to be completed by the fall of 2025 and will include a native seed processing and seed storage barn, lab workstations, equipment space, additional plant cultivation hoop houses, along with expanded program/meeting space, office space, and restrooms. “We’ve repurposed and restored several buildings over the years, but now it’s time to meet our critical mission needs and take a fresh approach at Long Branch,” said Cincinnati Nature Center Executive Director Jeff Corney in a news release. "In general, field stations are often focused on research and education. There are not as many field stations that try to incorporate practitioners into their day-to-day operations. Fortunately, we are focused on best management practices in natural resource management/land stewardship. This means that we are already collecting data about our land management practices and then using this data to further refine or re-write our practices. This makes us an ideal location for uniting the worlds of academia and practice," explained Director of Conservation Cory Christopher.   "But instead of keeping this information to ourselves, I am most passionate about helping average landowners learn to be better stewards of their property. We should have university students engaged with research, but we should also have the community participating in workshops and other public programs that help them become more informed managers of their property. From my perspective, we have to focus on practice, research, and engagement. Having a field station that is equipped to do all three would be a game-changer for all of us." THANK YOU to our generous donors of this project: Tammy and Dave Alverson, Kim and Susan Drackett, Sarah Anness Evans and Tommy Evans, Growing Tree Foundation, Landen Family Foundation, The Nabama Foundation, Irv and Melina Simon, and The Sutphin Family Foundation. And to our building partners: Skanska, Emersion Design, and CMTA, Inc. Click here to listen to event coverage via 91.7 WVXU: https://lnkd.in/gDNVMsmm #CincyNature #Conservation #FieldStation #ConservationEducation #LandManagement #Research