Chapter Events

Join Wild Ones Honorary Director Heather Holm as she explores the nesting habitats, life cycles, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of some of the most common native bees in eastern North America, while highlighting the pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees.

When creating and managing thriving habitats for native bees, many factors such as seasonal phenology, nesting strategies, and flower preferences must be considered—and with approximately 3,600 species in North America (north of Mexico), there are many unique aspects to keep in mind when managing successful landscapes for bees. 

Sunday, October 29, 9 am-noon: Give Back Day, 15th Annual Honeysuckle Blitz at Caesar Creek U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gorge Spillway Tail Water Area, Warren County, Ohio

Join the Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society, Cincinnati Wild Ones, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and supporters as we sponsor this volunteer effort in its 15th year to help remove that invasive alien, bush honeysuckle, from the Caesar Creek Lake Spillway Tail Water area.

Come help your friends and kindred spirits continue the protection of this natural treasure. One of the area’s prime features is a gorge formed by glacial meltwaters cutting down through the bedrock. Steep walls formed, rising 180 feet above the river, with more than two miles of Caesar Creek flowing through the gorge. We will be working in the diverse habitat of this natural area, which features heavily wooded hillsides above the gorge of beech, maple, hickory, oak and a luxuriant herbaceous-flora-covered floodplain. The Cincinnati Wild Ones have been working in this area for the past 14 years with a very positive impact to wildflower diversity.

This is a terrific social, educational and work activity, with a great lunch provided.

Your RSVP is greatly appreciated. Please contact Christine Hadley at email [email protected] or at 513-850-9585, for more information. Chainsaw & steel blade trimmer operators must be pre-registered.

Bring your favorite tools: gloves, loppers, saws, trimmers, and protective gear for power equipment. We will provide tools & safety equipment to volunteers new to honeysuckle removal. Stump treatment will be furnished.

Directions: Meet at the Gorge parking lot off Clarksville Road.

Take I-71 to Wilmington Road (exit 36).
Head east on Wilmington Road. Take the first left onto Olive Branch Road (crossing over I-71).
Take the first right onto Jeffrey Road.
At the first stop sign, take Oregonia Road; jog right and then jog left onto Clarksville Road.
Follow across the dam, turn left at the gorge sign, and drive to the parking lot.
We’ll meet near the gorge shelter. Look for signs directing you to the event.

Google maps knows our parking area as “Caesar Creek Fishing Pier, Caesar Creek Gorge Access Road, Waynesville, OH 45068”

Do NOT go to the state nature preserve area on Corwin Road, which is where we often have spring events.

Chapter business to be followed by Tom Borgman, presenting How to Design, Plant & Maintain your Native Landscape.

Maintaining your landscape doesn’t have to be difficult! Tom will cover some important considerations when planning and designing your landscape with native plants, including ‘curb appeal,’ identifying and controlling invasive species, and tips on planting techniques and some efficient practices to keep your habitat thriving. RSVP is helpful: [email protected]. 

Join us for an enlightening webinar featuring authors, Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox, as they present their latest book, "The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants." This comprehensive compendium is a treasure trove of knowledge for gardeners looking to incorporate native prairie plants into their landscapes. Neil and Hilary will delve into the making and application of this essential guide, sharing rich historical and ecological insights about prairie ecosystems, all while showcasing stunning images of prairie flora. 

Leader: Dr. Denis Conover

The focus of this field trip will be the diverse botanical community found at Spring Grove Cemetery. Come out and join UC professor, and expert botanist and naturalist Denis Conover as he leads us on a mid-morning walk with a focus on native tree ID, through the beautiful grounds of Spring Grove Cemetery.  Denis 

Participants should be prepared for a few hours of steady walking, most of which will be relatively flat and on pavement, but there will also be some walking off pavement on trails or in damp or wet grass. 

Directions: The Spring Grove Cemetery main entrance is located on Spring Grove Avenue just west of the Winton Road intersection. To find our meeting spot, drive in through the main entrance gates and go straight. You will go through a short tunnel. Just beyond the tunnel, pull over and park alongside the right side of the road. If you have any questions feel free to contact us at [email protected]. 

Spring Grove Cemetery website:

https://www.springgrove.org/locations/spring-grove-cemetery-arboretum/