Great Parks of Hamilton County is one of 12 organizations to have received an Ohio EPA Environmental Education Fund (OEEF) grant for projects focused on helping Ohioans understand topics like habitat restoration. The grant for $41,600 supports ongoing nature education programming at Great Parks Nature Center at The Summit through June 2023.

Located in Roselawn, Great Parks Nature Center at The Summit was established in 2019, thanks to a partnership with New Prospect Baptist Church. The collaboration helps to fill a need for environmental education and nature programming in the neighborhood. Part of the community vision plan for Roselawn and Bond Hill is to prioritize a need for community recreation space and meaningful in-and-out of school activities for youth and their families, and Great Parks is striving to do just that.

“Our collaboration with New Prospect Baptist Church, the city of Roselawn and surrounding neighborhoods helps Great Parks to provide services that were previously nonexistent,” says Great Parks CEO Todd Palmeter. “The grant funding further supports our goal in providing innovative programming as a gateway to nature exploration for families.”

Great Parks Nature Center at The Summit offers hands-on crafts, nature-themed activities and live animal experiences for youth and adults throughout the school year and over the summer. Additionally, Great Parks offers fields trips with transportation, to explore a park with an interpreter.

Overall, the OEEF grant funding will assist Great Parks in increasing access to grade-specific subject matter in the areas of science and social studies. Up to 900 elementary-age students in Hamilton County will learn about how they relate to and effect the environment around them. Using guided, hands-on activities with live creatures, native plants and other ecosystem representations, children will explore actual habitats using specialized, scientific tools.

The OEEF provides grants each year for environmental education projects serving kindergarten through university students, the public and the regulated community. OEEF grants are funded with a portion of the civil penalties Ohio EPA collects for violations of Ohio’s air and water pollution control laws. Eligible grant recipients include environmental groups, public and private schools, colleges and universities, trade or professional organizations, businesses, and state and local governments. Visit www.epa.ohio.gov for more information.