In ecology jargon, “species richness” is a term we use to describe a habitat that teems with many plant and animal species. While biking the Shaker Trace Trail at Miami Whitewater Forest with my family last weekend, we were watching tree swallows swooping in amongst a large group of dragonflies darting over the prairie. Were […]

I have worked for Great Parks over 17 years now. While I have enjoyed my time at each park, it is actually the walking and hiking trails that have provided me with special memories. I met my future wife while I was working at Sharon Woods, and the trails there became part of our weekly […]

Sometimes it is well worth the risk to try something, even though you cannot foresee the results. Life is a journey with these opportunities everywhere. Recently I decided to seize the day and started to hike the West Branch and Kingfisher trails at Winton Woods. Over the years, I have grown to love this path […]

The Stewardship Department really knows the parks inside and out. They’re almost always out in the field collecting water samples, conducting plant surveys, tracking native species or any number of behind-the-scenes conservation activities. As the days get longer and there’s more time for exploring outdoors, a few members of the Stewardship team shared their favorite […]

Spring is a busy time of year here at Great Parks of Hamilton County! With a long and cold winter behind us, we are gearing up to make some great improvements out on our nature trails. Recently I hosted a spring kickoff meeting for Adopt-a-Trail volunteers and introduced a new opportunity for volunteering on the […]