For Adults

For Adults

Preregistration is required for most programs. For programs requiring registration, please register online well in advance of the class start date to ensure placement. Cincinnati Nature Center may update the status or format of programs based on conditions at the time of the program. 

Click on the program dates for pricing, registration information, and full descriptions.

CLICK HERE to view the Events & Programs Calendar.

CLICK HERE to sign up and be notified for various upcoming programs.

Magnolia warbler perches on branch.

Spring Bird Walks 

Click here to register for an upcoming date!

Saturday, March 23, 911 am – SOLD OUT!

Saturday, April 13, 810 am  

Saturday, April 27, 810 am  

Saturday, May 25, 810 am   

The migrants are returning from warmer climates and resident birds are beginning to nest. Join us for a casual walk to observe the pageantry of birds along our trails. This program is for adults.  Beginners welcome; binoculars encouraged. Preregistration required. Member adult free; nonmember adult $12 (includes daily admission).  

Wildflower Walks 

Click here to register for an upcoming date!

Saturday, March 23, 2:30–4 pm 

Sunday, April 7, 3–4:30 pm 

Sunday, April 14, 2:30–4 pm  

Sunday, April 28, 4–5:30 pm  

For a few short weeks, woodland wildflowers spring to life, carpeting the forest floor. Discover where these springtime gems lie and the interactions that make them unique. Preregistration required. Member adult $6; nonmember adult $16 (includes daily admission). 

Morning sunlight shining through the trees.

Sunday, March 24, 13 pm  

Sunday, April 14, 13 pm 

Sunday, May 19, 13 pm 

Forest bathing is a practice of immersing yourself in the tranquility of nature to relieve stress. This guided stroll at our Rowe Woods location is an invitation to slow down and awaken the senses, allowing you to quietly take in nature’s gifts. Preregistration required. Member adult $12; nonmember adult $22 (includes daily admission). 

Two raccoons stare at the camera.

Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Course (In-person & Online) 

Click here to learn more and register!

Online Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 2–May 14, 6–8 pm 

In-Person Saturdays, April 13 and April 27, 9 am–5 pm 

The mission of this program is to “promote awareness and citizen stewardship of Ohio's natural resources through science-based education and community service.” This is a hybrid offering with a mix of virtual and in-person classes with live instructors. Application deadline is March 18. Available to adults only. $300 for the full course, including all reading materials, certification fee with OSU, and online instruction.  

A cluster of oyster mushrooms in hand.

Make and Take: Grow Oyster Mushrooms

Sunday, April 7, 6-8 pm

Start your journey into the world of mushroom cultivation. We’ll focus on the art of growing oyster mushrooms at home, outdoors, using a simple 5-gallon bucket and straw. Uncover the amazing health benefits of mushrooms and experience the mental rewards of cultivating one of the most ancient foods on the planet. This course serves as your entry into the fundamentals of growing at home and equips you with the skills to delve deeper into the captivating world of mycology. Preregistration required. Member adult $45; nonmember adult $55 (includes daily admission).

Fabric dyed with natural yellow dye.

Besties Night: Ink and Drink 

Spring is here and it’s time for a home refresh. Join us for a fun evening of DIY kitchen linen dyeing. We’ll make all-natural plant-based inks and dyes, then use them to customize a tea towel and a set of dinner napkins. A spring cocktail and light snacks are included! This program is perfect for adults aged 21+. Preregistration required. Member adult $25; nonmember adult $25. 

Young woman lunges to stretch.

Trail Yoga  

Connect to nature in a deeper way through the mindful movement and meditative practices found in yoga during this on-the-trail experience at Rowe Woods. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $20 (includes daily admission).  

Purple clover flowers.

Learn the Basics of Plant Identification  

In our zeal to create a native garden, sometimes we can do more harm than good if we start aggressively “weeding” without knowing what plants we already have. On this brief walk, we’ll help you to “see like a naturalist” and touch on strategies and tools to help identify the plants in your yard. Preregistration required. Member adult $5; nonmember adult $5 (includes daily admission). 

Collection of native plants in small backyard garden.

Getting the Most Out of Your Small Native Garden   

With careful planning, you can create a small, aesthetically pleasing native garden that has great value for wildlife. Anne Cooper and Carrie Resnick of Nature’s Haven Nursery will provide their top tips for native garden planning that maximize diversity and host plants. Preregistration required. Member adult $13; nonmember adult $13 (includes daily admission). 

Stone stairway in a lush green backyard garden.

Home Landscape Transformations  

Learn how to utilize native plants to find ecologically based landscape solutions. We’ll help you solve common home landscape problems. Glean ideas for your yard as Cincinnati-based ecological landscaping company, Our Land Organics, shares real world, local examples of how they’ve helped homeowners address common landscape problems with forward-thinking solutions that benefit families while supporting ecological resilience. Preregistration required. Member adult $13; nonmember adult $13 (includes daily admission). 

Mulberry tree

Native Edible Trees and Shrubs in Your Yard 

Blending aesthetics, value for wildlife, and human food in the home landscape is entirely possible. In this class, we’ll touch on a range of edible trees and shrubs that are “good for you, good for wildlife,” as well as some “from the forest” planning and management approaches that help us work with nature. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $10 (includes daily admission). 

Group of hikers on trail.

Earth Day Sunrise Hike 

Join us for a special sunrise hike in honor of Earth Day. We’ll enjoy spotting wildlife and wildflowers in several different habitats around the Nature Center on this moderately paced hike. We’ll end our hike with coffee and a treat. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $10 (daily admission is free this day). 

Native plants in backyard garden.

Using Native Plants in Your Landscape  

Using real world stories from local naturalist Carol Mundy’s native plant nursery and the work she’s done in the variety of tiny habitats in her half-acre suburban yard, Carol will highlight how she embraces the wild spirit of plants and the wildlife that use them. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $10 (includes daily admission). 

Lesser celandine

Battling Problem Plants  

Creating wildlife-friendly yards entails making space for native species and that means removing introduced plants. Using examples from the Nature Center’s gardens and grounds, Natural Areas Project Coordinator Carolyn Ramseur will provide tips and tricks for battling aggressive plants. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $10 (includes daily admission). 

Two cocktails in clear glasses with mint and lime.

Foraged Cocktails Class 

Join us for an exciting evening of wildcrafting cocktails. From DIY bitters to seasonal syrups, we’re putting a forager’s spin on classic cocktail ingredients. During this hands-on class, participants will learn about safe and sustainable foraging while they create and sample a flight of foraged cocktails. All class participants will leave ready to host a foraged cocktail party of their own—with recipes and one complimentary bottle of foraged bitters.

This is an adult class offering exclusive for ages 21+. Preregistration required. Member adult $45; nonmember adult $55 (includes daily admission). 

Monarch butterfly on purple aster flowers.

How to Plant a Pocket Prairie 

Saturday, April 27, 1:30–2:30 pm 

(Rescheduled from Sunday, April 21, 1–2 pm, as noted in Newsleaf)

If you’re interested in creating your own native wildflower-filled, pollinator-friendly, pocket-sized prairie in your own yard, this class is the first step. Join us as we dive into the many ways to prepare your site and plant for success. Come prepared for open discussion and a short hike. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $20 (includes daily admission). 

Nature journal with a squirrel illustration.

The Practice of Nature Journaling 

Nature journaling is the process of noticing, wondering, and documenting the natural world. Its form may include sketches, poems, and notes. Join us to experience the joyful and restorative process of connecting with nature by putting pencil to paper. Absolutely no journaling skills are necessary! Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $20 (includes daily admission). 

Woman holds freshly harvested ramps in her hands.

Foraging Experience: Ramp Harvest 

Learn by doing as you contribute to a cause. Help hand harvest ramps for this year’s foraged dinners. Ramps, also called wild leeks, are a culinary forest herb highly sought after, and considered a rare delicacy with a flavor blend similar to garlic and scallions. Food samples included. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $20 (includes daily admission).   

Woman sits in grass with hand on chest.

Nature Mindfulness: Uncovering Your Natural Awareness 

Reclaim your attention and begin to uncover your natural awareness. Join us to learn a simple mindfulness technique that will help you enjoy the moment more fully. Preregistration required. Member adult $9; nonmember adult $19 (includes daily admission). 

Hands dip foraged leaves into a boiled pot of water.

Spring Forage and Feast

Friday, May 3, 68 pm 

First, we forage, then we feast! Spring is prime time for foraging, as our forests eagerly wake up. Lace up your hiking boots for a guided foraging walk, followed by a hyper-local feast of foraged delights. This program will consist of a roughly 1-mile hike on our trails to explore the basics of foraging and see what is growing around us. After this, we'll head to the Krippendorf Lodge to enjoy food and drink made from some of our finds. Preregistration required. Member adult $50; nonmember adult $60 (includes daily admission). 

Male scarlet tanager.

Birding Field Trip to Caesar Creek and Spring Valley  

Join us to explore birding at Caesar Creek State Park and Spring Valley Wildlife Area! These areas encompass a wide range of habitats including lake, forest, field, and more. The trip is designed to coincide with the peak of spring migration to maximize species sightings. Preregistration required. Member adult $12; nonmember adult $17. 

Loose leaf tea on a silver spoon.

Make and Take Foraged Tea 

No matter where you live, there’s an abundance of plants suitable for making tea. Come craft herbal tea blends using different dry and freshly foraged plants along with sampling sweet treats from our wild edible harvest. During this hands-on class, participants will learn to identify, forage for, and prepare single-use herbal teas. All class participants will leave with personalized herbal tea bags, wild edible dessert recipe cards, and a complimentary teacup. Preregistration required. Member adult $25; nonmember adult $35 (includes daily admission). 

Tess measuring the width of a stream.

Community Stream Habitat Assessment Training  

This hands-on, feet-wet training covers the basics of stream ecology and the physical characteristics of streams that influence habitat quality. Participants will be trained to use cQHEI (Citizen’s Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index), which was developed by the Ohio EPA in the 1990s as a standardized method for citizens to collect water quality data. The cQHEI focuses on physical characteristics of streams that are correlated with the stream’s ability to support diverse aquatic life.

The training includes a morning classroom session and an afternoon in-stream field training. Upon completion, participants will be eligible to become Ohio Level 1 Certified Data Collectors (QDC). Level 1 QDC was developed primarily for educators and volunteer stream monitors, but anyone with an interest in freshwater resources is welcome to participate!

Preregistration required. Member adult $40; nonmember adult $50 (includes daily admission). 

Groesbeck Estate

Heritage Walk: Architecture & Landscape of the Former Krippendorf and Groesbeck Estates  

The Rowe Woods property boasts two estates that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Join us for a 2.5-hour docent-led walking tour of both the interior and exterior of the homes built in the early 20th century by Carl Krippendorf and Grace Groesbeck. By exploring architectural style, horticulture, and landscape design, we’ll see the ties between the two families, how they both sought to blend the natural world with the designed human world with influence from the British designer Gertrude Jekyll, and how their efforts set the stage for the property that would become Cincinnati Nature Center. Preregistration required. Member adult $20; nonmember adult $30 (includes daily admission). 

Weekday Science Series: Observational Science of Spring Wildflowers

Tuesday, May 14, 2–3 pm

Most field biology research is not experimental but is based on the analysis of carefully documented observations. Carol Trosset grew up helping her family establish a small wildflower sanctuary, which her mother documented in great detail for 40 years. In this talk, Carol will explain the kinds of observations needed to collect such data, how she is working with these records to study the life cycles of various species of local wildflowers, and how this data can be used to learn about the local effects of climate change. She will also discuss how she is continuing this research project at the Trosset Wildflower Sanctuary at Gorman Heritage Farm in Evendale.

Green spruce tips

Spruce Tip Harvesting with HighGrain Brewing 

Learn by doing as you contribute to a cause. We’ll enjoy each other’s company as we hand harvest soft, young spruce tips for a beer collaboration with HighGrain Brewing Co. in Silverton. Enjoy a glass of HighGrain beer and some conservation-inspired light bites from the land. Preregistration required. Member adult $15; nonmember adult $15 (includes daily admission). 

Two men tie up tomato plants.

Foraged Crafting: DIY Garden Tie-Up 

Gardening season is in full swing, and the plants are just getting taller! Join us for an afternoon of making our own garden ties to protect tall plants and vines from the elements. In this hands-on class, participants will learn to identify, forage for, and process dogbane for use as a garden tie-up tool. We’ll discuss proper tie-up techniques, other common fiber plants, and other uses for our handmade cordage. Preregistration required. Member adult $10; nonmember adult $20 (includes daily admission). 

A person wearing gardening gloves, holds sheers and nettle.

Forager's Gathering  

Gather together as we highlight the spring season with our unique mix of foraging, cultivation of native plants for food, and interactive conservation. We’ll make the most of the season as we blend in-the-field, hands-on activities interspersed with short sit-down classes. Head home with some make-and-take foraged swag. Preregistration required. Member adult $55; nonmember adult $65 (includes daily admission).