Aug 04, 2022 - View online

Sustainability Spotlights

Great Outdoor Weekend Offers 100+ Free Events in September

We're getting excited for the 19th annual Great Outdoor Weekend on September 24-25, featuring over 100 free, family-friendly outdoor activities across Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana! Check out a preview of the events that have been submitted so far!

Go on a creeking adventure with Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society, hike or paddle with Mill Creek Alliance at their all-day "Run the Riffles" celebration, join Izaak Walton League for kayak, archery, or fly fishing lessons, or help plant a small orchard for Taft Elementary students with Common Orchard

Project. See migratory birds, participate in butterfly tagging, or go on a wildflower hike with MetroParks of Butler County. And choose from a wide variety of activities hosted by Great Parks of Hamilton County, including free boat rentals, trail scavenger hunts, fishing, bird banding, outdoor concerts, and more. If your organization hosts outdoor activities or nature programming we invite you to participate we invite you to participate this year by hosting an event.

Celebrate Our Farmers Markets Throughout August

Next week is National Farmers Market Week - a great opportunity to celebrate our local farms and the value that farmers markets bring to their communities! Check out the Edible Ohio Valley Farmers Market Guide and CORV Local Food Guide, and tag Green Umbrella on social media with a photo at your favorite farmers market, with the hashtag #nationalfarmersmarketweek for a chance to win a Greater Cincinnati Food Policy Council mug.

Then join us for our August Green Drinks at the Madeira Farmers Market on August 18th. We'll meet at 4:30 pm at the market Community

Booth for a fun family-friendly activity, using a recipe passport to take a self-guided tour to visit some of the 25+ vendors. Drinks and networking will follow from 5:00-7:00 pm on the covered patio at A Tavola Trattoria + Bar.

Join Us on 8/23 for the First Orchard Steward Harvest Gathering

The Common Orchard Project will be hosting an Orchard Steward Harvest Gathering on August 23rd from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Camp Washington Urban Farm. Come meet and celebrate our orchard stewards, and learn about opportunities to get involved in this work. Event attendees will have the opportunity to taste the fruits of local orchards and grab a free drink. There will also be a mini-workshop to learn about the trees and plants in our orchards and how to use their fruits, berries, and medicines. Please register for this free event so we know how many people to anticipate.

Sustainability in the Headlines

Communities Coordinate Efforts to Avoid Worst Effects of Climate Change, Cincinnati Enquirer

Residents in Cincinnati’s Beekman Corridor Make Plans for Climate Resiliency, WVXU

Cincinnati's 34-Mile CROWN Urban Trail Loop is One Step Closer to Completion, CityBeat

Want to Take a Fun Summer Road Trip? Consider Getting Out on a Bike, WVXU

Farmers’ Markets to Visit This Summer, Cincinnati Magazine

9 Free Outdoor Activities to Do This Summer on the Great Miami Riverway, Cincinnati Magazine

Despite U.S. Supreme Court Limiting the EPA, OH E-checks Are Here to Stay, OH Capital Journal

New Survey Finds Urban Woodlands Dense With Landscaping Plants, The Allegheny Front

More Ohioans Eligible for Electric, Natural Gas Assistance, WDTN

Cincinnati Startup Developing ‘Roomba of the Sea’ Raises Six-Figure Funding Round, Cincy Inno

OEC Report: Climate Change Could Cost OH Cities $6B by 2050, Cleveland.com

Featured Events View our full events calendar

August 4:

A Conversation with Karen Washington 1:30 pm, The Giving Grove (national affiliate partner of The Common Orchard Project)

Pints & Plants Hoppy Hour 5:00-7:00 pm, Boone County Arboretum

August 4-7: Festival of Faiths multiple sessions, Equasion

August 5: Outdoors for All Expo 4:00-9:30 pm, Adventure Crew

August 6:

Ohio River Paddlefest 2022 6:30 am-12:00 pm, Adventure Crew

Compost Processing Program Introduction 9:00-11:00 am, Common Orchard Project

Northside Collaborative Fruit Map 9:30 am, Urban Artifact

ZeroLandfill Take Away Day 10:00 am-2:00 pm, Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub

August 8: Celebrating 10 Years of Service 4:00-7:00 pm, Cincinnati ToolBank

August 9:

Green Cincinnati Plan Resilience Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm, City of Cincinnati

Life and Death of Stars 7:00 pm, Cincinnati Observatory

August 11:

Farm 2 School Educators Workshop 12:30-4:00 pm, Green Umbrella & Hamilton County

Fib Farm Class: DIY Beeswax Wrap 6:00-8:00 pm, Fibonacci Brewing

Farm to Table: A Community Discussion 6:30-8:00 pm, Northern Kentucky University

Transformative Encounters 7:00-8:00 pm, Lloyd Library & Museum

August 12-14: Grain School Agraria Center for Regenerative Practices

August 12: Astronomy Evenings 8:30 pm, Cincinnati Observatory

August 13:

Native Plant Sale at Bowyer Farm 9:00 am-1:00 pm, Cincinnati Zoo

"On the Wing" Butterfly Walk 10:30 am, Western Wildlife Corridor

August 15: Pond Scum Workshop 6:30-8:00 pm, Hamilton County Conservation District

August 17: Regional Climate Collaborative Meeting 11:00 am-12:00 pm, Green Umbrella

August 18: Green Drinks 4:30-7:00 pm, Green Umbrella

August 20: Row by Row Dinner 5:00-9:30 pm, Gorman Heritage Farm

Professional Opportunities

Green Umbrella's Climate Policy team is hosting a series of virtual working group sessions as part of our recent Regional Climate Collaborative launch. Anyone living or working in our 10-county OH-KY-IN region is welcome to register and attend to give input on climate action in our region. Please also take our Community Survey today!

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is accepting workshop proposals for their annual conference in February 2023 (due 8/8).

Hamilton County R3Source is offering a new Impact Grant Program to help communities, schools, non-profits, and businesses fund programs that significantly reduce landfill waste in Hamilton County, Ohio. They're hosting an informational webinar on 8/22 @ 12:00 pm.

Tri-State Trails is hosting their 10th Anniversary Gala on 8/26 at the Anderson Pavilion in Smale Riverfront Park from 6:30-10:30 pm. Register today and enjoy an evening of food and drink, live music, and an exciting array of auction packages.

Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting their annual Tree Sale! Check out all the trees and shrubs available for purchase between July 18th and August 29th.

The Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council is hosting Growing our Teachers, a cohort-based training initiative with Gorman Heritage Farm and the Civic Garden Center for the '22-23 school year. To participate, fill out this application by 9/7 at 5:00 pm. A cohort of 10-12 educators will be selected and notified by 9/14.

The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is hosting the fifth annual Ohio Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in Columbus on 9/29. Attendees can join in-person or virtually.

The 2022 REBUILD Conference (on 10/5) offers opportunities to learn about the advantages of high-performance buildings, and what works when creating the business case for sustainability in organizations. It will feature keynote speakers from world-class firms, real-world case studies, and informative panel discussions. Early registration is now open.

The City of Cincinnati's Office of Environment & Sustainability (OES) is conducting public meetings now through October for community members to provide insight and feedback on the next iteration of the Green Cincinnati Plan. Green Umbrella and Groundwork Ohio River Valley are OES partners for these meetings. Learn more and view the meeting schedule here.