Scientific Research

Monitoring and research are essential to accurately assessing the progress or failure of land management and restoration programs. Cincinnati Nature Center currently participates in research projects involving staff, volunteers, “citizen scientists” and local and national initiatives. Some are large scale programs that require participants to send in data to a national database, such as eBird, Frogwatch USA and the Great Backyard Bird Count.  Others are more detailed, stringent monitoring efforts that seek to answer specific questions.  Many of these are conducted by local universities, utilizing the Nature Center’s land as a lab.

Cincinnati Nature Center currently has three volunteer biological monitoring teams made up of over 40 volunteers that study bluebird nesting boxes, butterflies and vernal pool and pond breeding amphibians. An expansion of our facilities will afford countless more opportunities to partner and collaborate on meaningful research projects. Long term monitoring will potentially produce outcomes that will affect land management techniques for the broader world community. 

We facilitate research on our lands to:

• Increase knowledge about ecosystem ecology and natural history of this region’s indigenous habitats
• Inform the Nature Center and the surrounding region about effective ecological restoration techniques
• Inform the Nature Center about effective management of native and non-native habitats for biodiversity
• Inform the Nature Center about the impact and management of native and non-native invasive species
• Engage high school and college students in field study and/or research
• Encourage “citizen science” efforts to foster stewardship
• Help citizens better understand their impact on the natural world

Check out some of our current projects:

• Spring Ephemeral Plant Restoration