Seasonal Adult Programs

Bird Walks (Year-Round)

Grab your binoculars and join your leader for bird watching along the trails.  Beginner and veteran "birders" are welcome.  Meet in the Rowe Woods parking lot and dress for the weather.  Bird walks begin at 8 a.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month in all seasons. Members free; nonmembers pay daily admission.

Herpetology Programs (Year-Round)

Learn more about reptiles and amphibians with the Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society. Programs are from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Rowe Woods auditorium on the first Wednesday of each month. For more information, visit www.cincyherps.com. Members free; nonmembers pay daily admission.

Making Nature Personal: CNC's Educational Philosophy Presentation (September)

Join Education and Visitor Services Director Connie O'Connor for a presentation on CNC's new educational philosophy. Connie will summarize the new approach, provide the rationale and research behind it and answer any questions. Free for all.

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010

7 p.m.

Fossil Collecting Day Trip (September)

Join CNC Chief Naturalist Bill Creasey and paleontologist Brenda Hunda from the Cincinnati Museum Center for an all-day expedition to an outdoor fossil site near Maysville, KY. Bring lunch and dress for the weather. Preregistration is required. Member adult $20, child (ages 10-15) $10; nonmember adult $40, child (ages 10-15) $20. Learn more about this trip on the Day Trips page. 

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Primitive Cooking at LBFT (September)

Join Tom Brown III of the Primitive Arts Collective to learn the cooking methods of ancient Native Americans. Try eight to ten primitive cooking methods including rock boiling, coal cooking, stick cooking, clay bake, steam pit and rock grilling. We will also discuss catching food and preservation techniques. Tom is one of the world’s foremost instructors of primitive technology and primitive wilderness survival.

Meet at the Creekside Barn. Registrants should eat breakfast and bring a lunch. We will eat what we’ve made in mid-afternoon. Recommended for older teens and adults. Space is limited to 20 people. Preregistration is required. Members $40; nonmembers $55.

Pawpaw Tasting and Lecture (September)

Drop in to sample Ohio’s native state fruit, a real “taste of the tropics," anytime between 10 a.m.5 p.m. At 2 p.m., learn about landscaping with, harvesting and cooking pawpaws with members of the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association. This program is FREE for all for Great Outdoor Weekend.

CNC Members' Astronomy Club (October)

If you enjoy the night sky, bring your telescope (if you have one) and join CNC Naturalist Sheila Riley for an evening with the stars. This initial meeting will determine future meeting dates/times and other business. Then we'll head outside for star-gazing. This is a members only program. Ages 12 and up. Preregistration is required. Free for members.

Buzzardroost Day Trip (November)

Join CNC Chief Naturalist Bill Creasey and Edge of Appalachia Preserve Manager Chris Bedel for a climb to the top of Buzzardroost Rock located in Adams County. Preregistration is required. Members $20, nonmembers $40. Learn more about this trip on the Day Trips page.

Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010

7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Perimeter Hike at LBFT (November)

Come for a hike on the “Perimeter Trail” at Long Branch Farm & Trails with Executive Director Bill Hopple. We will start and end at the Creekside Barn, staying on the outer. Terrain is moderate. Distance is approximately five miles. Pack a lunch and water bottle, we will stop for lunch midway through the hike. Ages 12 and up. No dogs please. Park in the Creekside Parking Lot and meet at the Creekside Barn. Preregistration is required. Members free; nonmembers $5.

Speakers Bureau (Year-Round)

The Speakers Bureau features programs presented on or off site by one of CNC's nature educators: Connie O'Connor, Education and Visitor Services Director; Bill Creasey, Chief Naturalist and Safari Coordinator; Bill Hopple, Executive Director; or Colin Vogt, CNC Volunteer. Presentations cover a variety of topics, including CNC history, local flora and fauna, and renewable energy. Featured programs are:

• "An Introduction to Cincinnati Nature Center"
• "Amphibians in Your Backyard"
• "Backyard Birds of Southwest Ohio"
• "Leave No Child Inside: Nature Deficit Disorder"
• "Mammals of Southwestern Ohio"
• "Wildflowers for Beginners"
• "Education for the New Energy Economy"
• "Renewable Energy for the Home"

For more information on programs and how to schedule, please view the Speakers Bureau Brochure (PDF).

Christmas Bird Count (December)

Be a part of the traditional gathering of friends and family as we count all the birds at Rowe Woods. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather. Beginning birders are welcome. A fee of $5 per person will be collected at the door to offset production costs of the resulting compilation by the National Audubon Society. (Participants may request a copy to be mailed the following year.) Preregistration is required.

Winter Travel Series (January)

Do you enjoy visiting exotic destinations, but don't have your own trip planned this January? Witness beautiful scenery and learn about the cultural and natural history of far-away places without leaving your chair. Ask questions and get first-hand tips from travelers who have been there.

Community Action: A Toolkit to Make Your Voice Heard (January)

Join fellow nature lovers to learn how you can take action on environmental issues that are important to you. Your voice and opinion have tremendous influence on public policy. The Ohio Environmental Council will conduct this workshop, during which you will learn effective ways to make your voice and opinion heard by local and state officials. Preregistration is required.

Cocktails and Conversation (February)

Become part of the community of people supporting sustainable living. Join us in the Rowe Visitor Center to view a 49-minute film about how some communities are working toward a more sustainable future. Cocktails and conversation to follow. This program is free for all, but limited to the first 25 registrants. Preregistration is required. Please consider bringing a locally grown snack (and recipe) to share.

Animal Tracking for Adults (February)

Join experienced animal tracker Bill Reichling to learn basic tracking skills, useful for taking wildlife photos or knowing what's in your woodpile or attic. Learn about documented data of cougar, bobcat, and black bear in Ohio and discover how to read the woods through tracking. We'll spend time indoors and out during this two-hour workshop. Appropriate for ages 13 and older.

Woodcock Walks (February, March)

This nocturnal bird's mating ritual involves aerial acrobatics and an alluring strut.  This amazing display takes place in late February and early March and only under certain conditions.  If you would like to be one of the few to see a woodcock perform, email Amy Johnson at   We will contact you when naturalists schedule a woodcock walk.

Backyard Habitat Program (April)

Learn simple ways you can create native wildlife habitat in your yard. Spring time is a time many of us put on our work gloves, grab a shovel and begin landscaping our yards with brilliant flowers, shrubs, and trees. Join Wes Duren from Marvin’s Organic Gardens in the Rowe Visitor Center auditorium to learn about why planting with Ohio native plants is important, what plants are great to plant in our area, and how this helps the wildlife that we share this great planet with.

CNC's Rare Treasure: Our Old-Growth Forest (April)

Celebrate Earth Day with Executive Director Bill Hopple. Take a walk through the old-growth forest to learn about identifying old-growth, why this parcel was saved, what makes it unique, and what threatens it. Please bring a lunch to enjoy after the hike. Adults and high school-aged children welcome.

The Annual Birdathon (May)

Teams of birders will scour the land in search of as many species of birds as possible during this 24-hour period. Last year at this fundraising event for Cincinnati Nature Center and Oxbow, Inc., the CNC team found nearly 112 species in Clermont County alone! Please consider making a pledge of $.05 to $5 per bird for each species found. Contact Amy Johnson at for additional details.

Perimeter Hike (May)

Join Executive Director Bill Hopple for a new and unique guided hike! Take a 7.5-mile hike on the "Perimeter Trail," CNC's outermost trail loop (with an additional 1.5-mile option). This hike starts at the Rowe Visitor Center and terrain is moderate. Please pack a lunch and water bottle - we will stop along the trail midway through the hike. Ages 12 and up. No dogs please. Members free; nonmembers pay daily admission.

Pawpaw Grafting Workshop (May)

Join the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association for their annual meeting and pawpaw grafting workshop in the Creekside Barn at Long Branch Farm & Trails. Registration information and details about the workshop are available at www.ohiopawpaw.com.

Celebration Garden Open House (May)

Join us in the garden on Memorial Day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a casual open house.  A brief program will take place at noon to honor and remember those whose names haev been added to the garden. Admission is free.

Fossil Identification with Cincinnati Dry Dredgers (June, July, August)

The Dry Dredgers is a non-profit group of individuals of all ages, backgrounds and levels of expertise sharing an interest in fossils. Their purpose is to stimulate interest and promote education about the collection, identification, and classification of fossils of all types. Members of the club will be available in the Rowe Woods lobby to identify your fossils and share information about how to get more involved with fossil hunting. For more information, see www.drydredgers.org. Members free; nonmembers pay daily admission.

How "Nature Mentoring" Can Restore Community (August)

Spend an inspirational evening with world-renowned naturalist and "nature mentor" Jon Young. Jon collaborates globally with organizations to foster deeper community and stronger connections with the natural world. His vision brings the collective wisdom of nature back into the modern experience. He will also be available to sign copies of his book Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature. Preregistration is required. Members free; nonmembers $5.

CNC Community Coffeehouse (August)

Come together for music, coffee, pastries and company in the bistro! Listen to live music by local bands, share announcements about issues important to you, and hear about upcoming programs at CNC. Coffee and tea are free and locally-made pie will be available for purchase. Feel free to bring your own alcoholic beverages. Members $8; nonmembers $10.

Natural Dye Workshop (August)

This workshop will provide an introduction to the techniques of natural dying, employing the sustainable practices of local material collection and environmentally friendly mordanting. During the workshop you will be dying with easy to obtain materials from the grocery store. You'll receive handouts on the information covered in the workshop, as well as dyed fabric samples, and at the end of the day you'll be armed with the knowledge to strike out and try natural dying on your own. Preregistration is required. Member adult $12, nonmember adult $15.

Sketching for Adult Beginners (August)

Join art educator Hilary Neu as she introduces you to the basics of sketching. Bring a favorite unlined journal and something to sit on outdoors. Hilary will teach you how to begin and what to look for, from shading to proportions. By the end of the session, you'll feel more confident incorporating nature sketching into your journals. This program is for adults and teens ages 14 and up. Preregistration is required. Members $10; nonmembers $15.

Registration and calendar listings of current adult programs will be listed as they become available.