Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society 

Ohio Native Plant Society, Southwest Ohio Chapter
Updated Thursday Dec 5, 2024 at 2pm

Important-!!Due to Electrical Problems (including no heat & no stove) at Northern Hills, we cannot have our event on  Sunday Dec 8!!!

We will reschedule the potluck, lecture and hike to a later date!! (We will post info here with a new date as soon as we know, and send a new date by email to those on our reminder list.)

Our hikes and lectures are free and open to the public,  and all are welcome. (but we depend on our memberships to cover our expenses.) ."You don’t have to be a plant expert to enjoy these trips and lectures. The locations are amazing and the atmosphere is casual. I’ve enjoyed every event that I’ve attended for many years!"- BB.

 ---------------- December 2024 -----------------

Saturday, Dec 7, 2024 at 10am: Give Back Day, Avon Woods Nature Preserve, Hamilton County, Ohio (Free Pizza at 12:30!)

Hope you can join us for honeysuckle work this Saturday. No experience necessary, we will show you how to identify and cut honeysuckle. It is very satisfying to improve this nice park. Loppers and gloves provided, though you may bring your own. This preserve is only 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati.

Your assistance on this project directly benefits our Society, since we now have a written agreement allowing our use of Avon Wood Nature Center for five meetings per year in exchange for our volunteer hours working in Avon Woods (and other Cincinnati Parks).

The Cincinnati Parks use a website called “Better Impact” to register and track their many volunteer events. Other institutions such as the Museum Center also use this website.  The Cincy Parks, with so many parks and so many volunteers, use this to register volunteers and to track volunteer hours. They also use Better impact for more advanced invasive training.

Set up an account- Everyone should set up their new account with user name and password. You only have to do this once, not for each event. To go to the website and sign up for Better Impact, go to here and click “fill in an application” in the upper right corner. (You may see our December event at Avon at the bottom of the page, but you can’t click on it until you have an account and are logged in)

This takes you to a new page with the long legal waiver. Scroll to bottom and fill in form for “New”. Be sure to check the box for “Volunteer Terms and Conditions”

Sign up for this event- go to here as before. If you had logged out, go to the upper right of the page and click “Log in to your account”. Now go to bottom of the page and click our event at Avon, which will now allow you to click on our Avon event.

If the event shows as “full” or “closed”, please come to Avon and help anyway. You can work and we can enter your participation later. And please email Bob Bergstein, at bergstein123@gmail.com so he knows you are coming.

You can see the many other city wide volunteer events at https://app.betterimpact.com/Volunteer/Schedule/SignupFromCalendar

If you wish to qualify to apply herbicide in Cincy Parks- If you are still logged in, go to the “My Profile” tab at the top of the page. Select “Training”. (If it asks about which organization select “Cincinnati Parks”).  In “Training” scroll down to “Pesticide training”. The next screen has several videos and questions. Watch the videos (30 minutes) and answer the questions.   Press “submit” at the bottom when you are done.

Once you have watched the videos and passed the quizzes, you have to volunteer 10 hours and pass a field test with park staff. This consists looking at certain marked shrubs, and saying whether they are honeysuckle.  The test will be conducted at Avon on Dec 7, 2024 at 9am. You will then be a TSP-Trained Service Person. The more people who are TSPs, the better our honeysuckle projects go.

Driving Directions- Google maps knows the location by name or address, Avon Woods Nature Center, 4235 Paddock Road, Cincinnati Ohio 45229. For Apple maps, use 4235 Paddock Road (not “Avon Woods Nature Center”)

From the Norwood Lateral (Route 562), take the Paddock Road exit and drive South on Paddock Road for 1.0 miles to the Avon Woods Park Entrance (small sign). Turn Right into the park and drive 0.25 miles on the driveway (through the golf course) to the parking lot at the end of the drive

 !!Due to Electrical Problems at Northern Hills, we cannot have our event on Dec 8. We will reschedule the potluck, lecture and hike to a later date!!
Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 3 pm: Annual Hardy Souls’ Hike, William Harbin Park, Butler County, Ohio (followed by the potluck dinner and program)- This hike will be rescheduled to a later date.

Join us for a winter hike at Harbin Park, a Fairfield City Park. Angela Carter will lead us on the 1.8-mile moderately easy Green Trail that takes you on 196 ft of elevation gain. We will meet at William Harbin Parking, 1365 Hunter Rd, Fairfield, OH 45014

After the hike you may proceed to the Gathering at Northern Hills, at 460 Fleming Road for wine and fellowship at 5:15; dinner at 5:45.  Bring a dish of your choice: appetizer, main or side dish, or dessert.

!!Due to Electrical Problems at Northern Hills, we cannot have our event on Dec 8. We will reschedule the potluck, lecture and hike to a later date!!

(Will be rescheduled) Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 7 pm: Lecture, Gathering at Northern Hills (and Zoom)

"Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes of the Dayton Region: 1800 and Today" presented by Dave Nolin

Dave’s talk (about his new book) will illustrate the outstanding records of early surveyors documenting what the region was like in 1800, discuss the importance of land management by American Indians, and the challenges of taking care of the scraps that remain today.

!!Due to Electrical Problems at Northern Hills, we cannot have our event on Dec 8. We will reschedule the potluck, lecture and hike to a later date!!

Next Newsletter will be available in January 2025

Jan. 10, 2025 7:30 pm: Friday Program
Avon Woods Nature Center (& Zoom)
“Our Amazing Raptors”
by Jordan West

Feb. 14, 2025 7:30 pm: Friday Program Avon Woods Nature Center (and Zoom)
“Chasing the Aurora Beyond the 45th Parallel” by Melissa Kaelin

Feb. 2, 9, and 16 (Sundays) at 11:15am  “Nature in Art” – Free Guided One hour Tour at the Cincinnati Art Museum
RSVP- optional lunch afterwards

March 14, 2025: Friday Potluck & Lecture
The Gathering at Northern Hills (& Zoom)
5:15 pm Appetizers and fellowship
5:45 pm Covered dish potluck dinner
7:00 pm Annual Meeting and Program
"New and Emerging Invasive Plants on Our Radar"
by Dr. Theresa Culley

Apr. 5, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Quiverheart Gorge Preserve, Adams Co, OH

Apr. 12, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Sheila’s Cabin, Rockcastle Co, KY

Apr. 19, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Abner Hollow, Adams Co, OH

May 3, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Shawnee State Park, Scioto Co, OH

May 10, 2025: Give Back Day Garlic Mustard Pull, Caesar Creek Gorge SNP, (Corwin Road) Warren Co, OH

May 31, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Shawnee State Park, Scioto Co, OH

** June 1, 2025: Sunday Potluck Picnic
Picnic at Keystone Flora, Hamilton Co, OH

June 21, 2025: Weekend Field Trip
Cranberry Glades, Pocahontas Co, WV
Spruce Knob, Pendleton Co, WV

July 5, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Miami Meadows, Clermont Co, OH

July 20, 2025: Sunday Field Trip
Beanblossom Bottoms, Monroe Co, IN

Aug. 2, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Miami Whitewater, Hamilton Co, OH

Aug. 16, 2025: Saturday Field Trip
Steussy’s Prairie, Henry Co, IN

Friday Sept 12, 2025
Avon Woods Nature Center (& Zoom)
6:30 Optional Picnic
7:30 Photo-Sharing Program

Next newsletter in September 2025