Can you imagine a life without parks? It's a simple pleasure we sometimes take for granted in our daily lives. But in my time as the Director of Parks, I have encountered many citizens who have not experienced the beauty of green space in their neighborhood.
The City of Cincinnati has one of the finest park systems in the country, thanks in no small part to citizen advocates and volunteers, dedicated Park Staff, and visionary leadership from the Board of Park Commissioners. With over a 100 locations - 5 regional parks, 70 neighborhood parks, and 34 preserves - it's hard to imagine why anyone would not spend an afternoon watching the world go by from a park bench, take a morning walk in the gardens or toss a Frisbee with friends. Our parks are democratic spaces where everyone is welcome and there are no dividers. Parks inspire a sense of community and belonging, calm and inspiration. To educate the community on the importance of green space, I believe one must teach an appreciation for nature early in life –That's where our Nature Education and Nature Next Door programs enter the picture.
Cincinnati Parks' Nature Education section started in 1927 with a simple mission: educate people of all ages on the natural and historical resources in Cincinnati Parks, and assist in their protection and management. Today, our programs serve a full spectrum of city neighborhoods, focusing on school-age children and activities that are either free or very affordable. But even with 5 fully-equipped nature centers that offer year-round programming, there are still kids we would like to reach.
With that in mind, twelve years ago Parks developed the Nature Next Door program, where we take the programs "next door" to inner city parks. For nine weeks every summer, Nature Education staff bring lessons on fossils, wildlife, insects and so much more to over 3,600 kids. We have many generous partners who help us make this happen year after year. In addition to the Cincinnati Police Department and the Ladislas and Vilma Segoe Family Foundation, Saks Fifth Avenue and Cincinnati Profile Magazine step up every year to co-sponsor a benefit for the program, the Gentlemen of Style & Substance Awards. For more information on ticket availability for this year's event on September 16th, visit us
here. We're so grateful for the community's support of this program, as we truly believe it is critical to the health and well-being of our parks, to educate and hopefully inspire the next generation of citizen advocates who will preserve and maintain our parks.
If you have any questions about Nature Education programming, please contact us at 321-6070.