Love Letters to the Earth

The whole month of April

Join us in celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day by writing a love letter to Mother Earth. For the entire month of April, we will have a community board available where we invite you to share why you love the Earth.

Free Fridays for Earth Month

Friday, April 10, 17, and 24 — CANCELED 

Please join us as we celebrate Earth Month! Cincinnati Nature Center will offer free admission to the community on Fridays during the month of April.

Froggy Spotting Adventure at Long Branch Farm & Trails

Friday, April 3, 6:30-8 pm -- CANCELED

Join us for a stroll at Long Branch Farm & Trails to McCarthy Pond where we'll listen in on the spring peepers chorus. We'll also try our hand at spotting these tiny native frogs and their fellow pond residents. Members $5; nonmember $11 (ticket prices include daily admission).

Earth Month Olympics

Saturday, April 4 and 25, 12-2 pm and 2-4 pm, Vine Pulling Competitions -- CANCELED

Saturday, April 18, 12-2 pm and 2-4 pm, Stream Clean Up -- CANCELED

Join us for Earth Month Olympics! We will be hosting friendly competitions between volunteer teams (or individuals) to celebrate Earth Day while improving natural habitats around the Nature Center. Volunteer to pull bittersweet vines or clear litter from the creek beds and add them to your team’s collection bag. At the end of the day, bags will be weighed to determine who has removed the most invasives. Results from each competition will be measured and displayed in the Visitor Center through the month of April. Preregistration and volunteer waiver required. Free for registrants.

Get to Know Long Branch Farm & Trails Hike

Sunday, April 5, 3-4:30 pm --- CANCELED

Sunday, May 31, 4-5:30 pm

This hike is for members who have never visited Long Branch Farm & Trails before. Come check it out!  You'll hear some history, some fun facts, and see the natural treasures Long Branch has to offer.  Please dress to hike with appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Members $5.

SPRING into Camp: Spring Break Camp

Monday, April 6—Wednesday, April 8, 9 am-4 pm --- CANCELED

Join us for an outdoor adventure over three days of camp. Explore the Nature Center’s beautiful forests, streams, and fields as we look for emerging signs of spring. We’ll play games and create nature-inspired art while making new friends! For 5-12 year olds. Registration begins Tuesday, February 4, at 10 am.

Full Moon Walks

Wednesday, April 8, 8-9:30 pm — Grass Moon at Rowe Woods -- CANCELED

Friday, May 8, 8:45-10:15 pm — Milk Moon at Long Branch Farm & Trails

Full Moon Walks provide rare opportunities to hike Nature Center trails when we’re normally closed. These night time walks utilize level upland trails -- we avoid hills, steps and stream crossings for safety. While each full moon walk varies, we generally stop periodically for natural history moments, special readings or simply to admire the shadows cast by the full moon. As it’s night time, the pace is slower. Leaders adjust the walking speed based on their group. Full moon walks generally go for 1.5 hours with our goal being to maximize time on the trail. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes daily admission).

Homeschool — Adaptations

Thursday, April 9, 10 am-12 pm -- CANCELED

With a naturalist, students will hit the trail to observe examples of local plants and animals in various life stages. We’ll explore the pond, field, and forest and learn about the physical and behavioral adaptations of plants and animals in each. Suitable for 1st-3rd grade equivalent, but older and younger siblings may attend as well. Member $7; nonmembers $11 (includes daily admission). 

Dad & Me Night Hike

Friday, April 10, 6:30-8 pm -- CANCELED

Caregivers bring your favorite one or two kiddos for a dusky hike at Rowe Woods. Kids explore the wilderness with your favorite guy. Practice your fire starting skills with flint and steel, adventure into the woods for a moderate hike, and end with a campfire s'more. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes admission).

DIY Wildflowers from Seed

Saturday, April 18, 10 am-3 pm -- CANCELED

Sunday, April 19, 12-4 pm -- CANCELED

Saturday, April 25, 10 am-3 pm -- CANCELED

Sunday, April 26, 12-4 pm -- CANCELED

Experience the joy of growing your own native wildflowers to enhance your yard for pollinators and other wildlife. Choose from 12+ species of wildflowers, fill a pot with soil, add seeds, label it and head home with inspiration and instruction sheets. Nature Center volunteers will be on hand to help you select the right plant species for your home. Purchase seed pots at the event for $1 each. Members free; nonmember adult $9 and nonmember child $4 (includes daily admission). 

Pollinator Party in the Nature PlayScape

Saturday, April 18, 2-3:30 pm -- CANCELED

Drop into the Nature PlayScape to celebrate our local pollinators! We’ll hunt for flowers, create pollinator artwork, and enjoy a snack! Free to members; nonmember adult $9, nonmember child $4. Online tickets purchased for nonmembers include admission.  Nonmember tickets may also be purchased at the gate.

Mindful Nature Playtime

Friday, April 24, 10-11 am -- CANCELED

Friday, May 22, 10-11 am

Slow down and enjoy nature with your little ones. Explore the woods, sing songs, and make art with your family. All activities are designed with mindfulness concepts in mind to encourage compassion, intention, and connection. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes admission).

Hike for Your Health with RRT

Sunday, April 26, 2-3:30 pm — Wildlflower Trail at Rowe Woods -- CANCELED

Sunday, May 31, 2-3:30 pm — Barred Owl and Beaver Trails at Long Branch Farm & Trails

Grab your Hike for Your Health passport and get hiking with Nature Center staff and a representative from Roads Rivers and Trails (RRT), a local adventure outfitter. Join us each month as we traverse our trails (approximately 2-3 miles each hike). Purchase your passport ahead of time, available at the Rowe Visitor Center, for $2. Geared for adults and children ages 8 and up with an adult. Preregistration required. Free; nonmembers pay daily admission.

Pond Critter Catch

Sunday, April 26, 3-4:30 pm -- CANCELED

Put on your play clothes and boots and join us for an afternoon of netting and scooping up pond creatures! As a part of our ongoing pond citizen science project, we'll help the leaders in their investigation and count of all of the wildlife we find. We'll learn how to use the right scientific tools for the job: nets, scopes, magnifiers, and counters. At the end of the program, we'll celebrate our work with a special take home treat. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes admission).

Mom & Me Night Hike

Friday, May 8, 6:30-8 pm

Caregivers bring your favorite one or two kiddos for a dusky hike at Rowe Woods. Kids explore the wilderness with your favorite gal. Practice your fire starting skills with flint and steel, adventure into the woods for a moderate hike, and end with a campfire s'more. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes admission).

Make a Hiking Stick

Saturday, May 9, 10-11:30 am

Choose your own pre-harvested honeysuckle branch and craft it into a customized hiking stick. Use simple hand tools to cut, smooth and work the stick. Add embellishments like brass tacks, then cute and add your own leather lanyard. Fees are per stick kit; a parent may purchase one stick to work on with their child. Nonmembers parents who purchase a ticket for their child, but do not purchase a ticket for themselves, will pay daily admission at the gate. Members $7; nonmembers $14 (includes daily admission).

Natural Art Making

Sunday, May 17, 1-3:30 pm

Experiment with using natural, foraged, and recycled materials to make colorful drawings. Learn how to make your own drawing charcoal and try your hand at making ink out of berries and blooms. Enjoy the spring greenery as we take a walk to do some "en plein air" with materials we've made. Basic techniques will be covered for those new to drawing. Beginners welcome. 

A portion of this program will take place outdoors so participants should dress accordingly. Some paper, pencils and brushes will be available for use, but participants are encouraged to bring their own paper or sketchbook that can handle ink, as well as their own drawing pencils and brushes. Members $10; nonmembers $14 (includes daily admission).

Sci-Fi in Real Life

Saturday, May 23, 1:30-3 pm

Sometimes the natural world is stranger than fiction. On this interactive hike, learn about a few of the creatures and processes in nature that have influenced popular science fiction films and books. Is there truth behind sci-fi depictions of parasites, warring bugs, and trees that talk? Search for creatures that regenerate, play a "hive-mind" game, and invent your own sci-fi being. See what weirdness nature can produce right here in Southwest Ohio. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes admission).

Make a Nature Journal

Sunday, May 24, 1-3 pm

Have you ever wanted to handcraft your own journal? We'll learn how to create medium-sized, hand-sewn journals utilizing native plants. These journals can then be used to explore the world of nature journaling as we provide tips and tricks for getting you started. This program is appropriate for adults and teens (13+) with an adult, and will involve the use of fine motor skills. Preregistration required. Members $16; nonmembers $19 (includes admission).

Bluebird Box Checking at Long Branch Farm & Trails

Saturday, May 30, 1:30-3 pm

Head out on a hike with the bluebird box monitoring team and carefully peer inside bird houses. Find out what the Nature Center is doing to encourage bluebirds on our properties and what you can do to provide housing for birds on your property. Members $5; nonmembers $10 (includes daily admission).

Mud Mania in the Nature PlayScape

Saturday, May 30, 1-2:30 pm

“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” – E.E. Cummings. Come splash, dig, and create in this program all about, and in, mud! Free to members; nonmember adult $9, nonmember child $4. Online tickets purchased for nonmembers include admission.  Nonmember tickets may also be purchased at the gate.