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.

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.  2:00 - 3:30 PM.

Sunday, January 8, 2012    Jaguar Kisses in Belize

Sunday January 15, 2012   A Journey to East Africa

Sunday, January 22 , 2012  A Summer Cruise to Greenland & Iceland

Sunday, January 29, 2012   The Smoky Mountains, Like No Other Park!

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   and enter WOODCOCK on the subject line.  We will contact you when naturalists schedule a woodcock walk.

Primitive Skills Programs (October)

Primitive skills courses will be taught by Tom Brown III of the Primitive Arts Collective.  Tom has been a practitioner and teacher of primitive technology, wilderness survival, tracking and nature observation since an early age.  Trained from birth by his father, Tom Brown, Jr., founder of the world-renowned Tracker School, Tom is one of the world's foremost instructors of primitve technology and primitive wilderness survival.  All programs will initially meet in the Rowe Visitor Center at Rowe Woods.

Primitive Fire Making                          
Explore the world of primitive fire making by learning about the bow drill, the most reliable primitive fire making method as well as one of hte easiest to learn.  Students will make their own working fire kit to take home.  Participants should bring a sturdy, non-serrated knife for carving.  $75 per person member; $90 nonmember.  (An additional $15 materials fee is emedded in registration fee).  Preregistration Required. 

 Primitive Cooking                                 
This primitive cooking class will expose you to the cooking methods of ancient Native Americans.  Registrants will participate in 8 to 10 primitive cooking methods including rock boiling, coal cooking, stick cooking, clay bake, steam pit and rock grilling.  Catching food as well as preservation techniques like smoking will be discussed.  Registrants should eat breakfast and bring a lunch.  We will eat what we've made mid-afternoon.  Recommended for older teens and adults.  $60 per person member; $75 nonmembers.  Preregistration Required. 

 Water Gathering and Purification      
Clean water is so readily available in our modern society that we take it for granted.  In a survival situation, securing clean water is far more difficult.  This class will allow participants to explore how to gather and purify water as our ancestors did.  We will learn about several different sources we can use to obtain water for our drinking and cooking needs.  Members $60; Nonmembers $75.  Preregistration Required. 

CNC Members' Astronomy Club (Monthly)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012        7 pm

Wednesday, March 12, 2012           7 pm

Wednesday, April 11, 2012             7 pm

Wednesday, May 9, 2012                 7 pm

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.  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.

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.

Introduction to Permaculture (March)

Permaculture is a system of holistic design based on natural ecological cycles for enhanced productivity. In this one-hour workshop, learn how this system works to design efficient, resilient and regenerative homes and communities and how we can create ecological stability and green our planet for the future.Led by Sakina Grome, who has practiced permaculture both in Australia and the U.S. and has trained with many leading practitioners in the field.

Wildflower Walks (March, April)

In March and April, wildflowers bloom all along the trails at CNC.  Join leaders from the Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society to learn wildflower identification along the trails at Rowe Woods.  Expect to walk down steps and through various habitats.  Walks last approximately two hours.

Saturday, March 24, 2012                 10 am        Ann Geise

Sunday, April 1. 2012                          2 pm         MarjieBecus

Saturday, April 14, 2012                   10 am        Ann Geise

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)

Join Bill Hopple, CNC Executive Director, to learn characteristics of an old-growth forst in a lecture and then take a three mile hike through the mosaic of forest types at Rowe Woods to learn native and non-nataive plant communities.   Please bring a lunch to enjoy after the hike. Adults and high school-aged children welcome. Members Free, Nonmembers $8.

Perimeter Hike (May)

Join Executive Director Bill Hopple for a new and unique guided hike! Come for a hike on the "Perimeter Trail" at Long Branch Farm & Trails.  Start and end at the Creekside Barn, staying on the outer trails.  Terrain is moderate.  Distance is five miles.   Please pack a lunch and water bottle for a lunch stop at the overlook platform.  Park in the Creekside Parking lot and meet at the Creekside Barn at 9:30 am.  No dogs please. Members free; nonmembers $8.

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 have been added to the garden. Admission is free.

The Annual Birdathon (May 11-12, 2012)

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.

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 on June 18, July 9 & August 13 from 11 am - 1 pm 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..

Natural Dye Workshop (July)

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.

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).

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