History

Green Umbrella is a broad based citizens’ coalition founded in 1998. The project grew out of a shared concern for the preservation and restoration of the abundant diversity of wildlife and plants that thrives in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana area. Green Umbrella initially operated as a partnership of organizations dedicated to conserving greenspace for the social, economic and environmental vitality of the region.

More recently, the Green Umbrella board has determined that the community will benefit if the organization transforms itself into a comprehensive alliance of the area’s 200+ nature-related organizations. The board has chosen two good models on which to build. Chicago Wilderness (www.chicagowilderness.org) has met with great success in its geographic region. It started with a focus on land preservation and biodiversity and later expanded to include nature awareness and public relations. In a different field, Cincinnati’s Fine Arts Institute, with its Fine Arts Fund, demonstrates the power of the alliance concept.

As a nature alliance, Green Umbrella will promote greater understanding of and support for the natural heritage and assets of the region. Three teams now organize and drive the work of Green Umbrella: land, education, and public relations. The finance and membership committees oversee two important parts of the organization. Now in its second decade, Green Umbrella continues to foster the importance of nature in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region.