Scientific Research

Scientific Research

Cincinnati Nature Center conducts and facilitates research to inform best land management practices and to enhance understanding of local ecology. Through a combination of long-term monitoring, observational, and experimental studies, Nature Center staff, volunteers, and collaborators are assessing the status of ecosystems on our land and identifying the best methods for conserving and restoring habitat to foster native biodiversity. Several projects also contribute to large-scale initiatives used by researchers at other organizations to track things like geographic distributions and changes over time. 

The Nature Center is also used as a field site by researchers from other institutions, including several universities. Nature Center staff sometimes play an active role as research collaborators and mentors for undergraduate students; other times, the Nature Center simply facilitates research on our lands.

Beyond informing land management and stewardship on Nature Center lands, results from our research will be shared with our community and other land practitioners. It has been said that, “Science isn’t finished until it is communicated”; the Nature Center will communicate our findings with a wide audience through peer-reviewed publications, interpretive programming, social media, and more.

Research at the Cincinnati Nature Center can be broadly divided into:

  1. Long-term Monitoring projects
  2. Applied Ecological Research 
  3. Community Science
  4. Research Partnerships

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:

Green net with blue flag on a leaf covered ground near a tree.