Source: WVXU

Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability released its Climate Migration Readiness Plan last month. The city has analyzed what other similarly situated cities have done to prepare for a possible influx of climate migrators, individuals who are temporarily or permanently relocating due to environmental changes.

On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss how Midwest cities can prepare for people relocating from high impact areas while ensuring that the people who already live here don’t get displaced.

Guests:

• Van Sullivan, interim executive director, Green Umbrella
• Terry Schwarz, principal, Take It

Beginning at noon, call 513-419-7100 or email talk@wvxu.org to have your voice heard on this topic. You can catch a recorded replay at 8 p.m.

Sources: Cincinnati Enquirer, aol.com

Food access is shrinking in Cincinnati.

Neighborhoods with few options for fresh food are losing their only grocery stores. By fresh food, I’m not talking about boxed macaroni and cheese or frozen pizzas (though delicious and easy for a busy household). I’m talking about heads of lettuce, bags of onions, blueberries, a big hunk of pork, or packages of chicken thighs.

These are the kinds of foods you won’t find at a gas station or convenience store. They are nutritious and filling. They’re ingredients to a meal cooked at home for loved ones.

Food deserts have real consequences

A shocking number of people in Cincinnati don’t have reasonable access to these foods. Many Cincinnati neighborhoods are “food deserts” − areas that have limited or no access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious foods. East Price Hill, Lower Price Hill, Bond Hill, South Fairmount, West End and Winton Hills are all food deserts. 

I was saddened to hear about the closure of Meiser’s Market in Lower Price Hill and the struggles that the Country Meat Co. Marketplace in Avondale faced in the past year. Small grocery stores like these are key providers of fresh and nutritious meals for those of us living in areas with limited food access − like West Price Hill, Evanston and Camp Washington (also food deserts). 

It’s not always easy to just “go to another neighborhood.” Imagine carrying a gallon of milk and four grocery bags on a bus. Now add a six-month-old baby and a toddler to the mix. Oh, and it’s raining. And there isn’t a seat or shelter at the bus stop. And you’ve already been at work for eight hours.

Are you going to make the trip to the grocery store for ingredients to make a hearty soup? Or, are you going to pick up that frozen pizza from the gas station?

Consider the connection between health and food insecurity in Cincinnati, especially among Black residents. Roselawn is a predominantly Black neighborhood (85.9%), and in addition to low access to healthy food, Roselawn also ranks high in chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Compare it to a place like Oakley, a predominantly White neighborhood (81.9%) with grocery stores to spare. People who live in Oakley have an average life expectancy of 77.1 years. In Roselawn, it’s 72 − an almost five-year difference, five miles apart.

While many factors contribute to this discrepancy, living in a food desert means you’re more likely to have chronic health issues that are especially difficult to manage without access to healthy food.

Grocery stores are community lifelines 

I live in a food desert. I’ve navigated food insecurity personally, and I can speak to the critical role local grocery stores play. There were many times in my life when we relied on the goodwill of our neighbors, a weekly church meal, a box of crackers, and a small jar of peanut butter to get us through to the next paycheck. It doesn’t have to be this way for families or for anyone.

And while pantries, churches, and neighborly help all play a critical role in securing food for the most vulnerable, they are not a long-term solution. Grocery stores that carry a wide variety of fresh foods, pantry staples, and accept food assistance programs year-round are integral to food security. 

We face the impending closure of another grocery and community staple: the Roselawn Save-A-Lot, the last in Cincinnati. Save-A-Lot, though a national chain, has franchise locations locally run and operated by independent owners, which is the case for the Roselawn Save-A-Lot. The current owner will retire this June and hasn’t been able to secure a new buyer for the franchise, meaning that Save-A-Lot − the only true grocery store for Roselawn (and effectively Bond Hill, Golf Manor and Amberley Village) − will close after 15 years in the community.

At the Roselawn Save-A-Lot, 42% of store sales are through food assistance programs like SNAP, accounting for about $2 million every year. The closure of this store, which serves potentially food-insecure households in a food-insecure area, would leave residents in a terrible situation. If the Save-A-Lot closes, 20,000 more Cincinnatians will live in a food desert.

Cincinnati must act before it’s too late

We can save the Save-A-Lot in Roselawn. With demonstrated community support, corporate Save-A-Lot can take over store operations, keeping it open for business. I urge Roselawn residents and neighbors to share your story about what this crucial grocery store means to you, either by filling out the form here or calling 513-541-1538 and leaving a voicemail with Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative.

I also urge city leaders to take action and prevent the closure of this store. Finally, I am urging any interested business owners looking for an opportunity to step in and take this store over. Please do so.

Roselawn residents − and all Greater Cincinnati communities − deserve groceries. Our leaders in the city of Cincinnati need to step up to this opportunity and find a way to save the Roselawn Save-A-Lot before it’s too late.

Rosa E. Baker is manager of the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council.

Source: WVXU

The first Cincinnati Climate Week is underway.

Regional environmental group Green Umbrella is presenting the celebration of climate solutions and sustainability in Greater Cincinnati from June 8-14. It features more than 50 events, including a tour of the solar array powering Fairfield’s wastewater treatment plant, an Ohio River cleanup and workshops on local air quality.Many of the events are free.

“This week is an opportunity to really showcase all the great climate solutions that are happening in our region, and to bring this to a broader audience, so that… people all across the region can tap into and know about and get involved in the work that’s happening locally,” says Director of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Charlie Gonzalez.

The week is anchored by the annual Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit in Sharonville on Friday, which is expecting nearly 700 attendees. Gonzalez says the idea for Cincinnati Climate Week came from wanting to expand on that one-day conference.

Gonzalez tells WVXU the week’s focus on local is key, as the federal government pulls back funding for projects meant to address the harmful effects of climate change and loosens environmental regulations.

“When we talk about the current landscape that we find ourselves in, it’s that much more important that we are coming together to build community around local solutions and investing in the organizations and the projects that are going to make our communities better,” Gonzalez said.

Cities around the world host Climate Weeks to bring people together to work on addressing climate change. Some of the largest are in New York City and San Francisco.

“They did start in larger cities, usually on the coasts,” Gonzalez says. “But Climate Week is not just for the coasts anymore.”

You can find a full schedule for Cincinnati Climate Week and ways to participate at cincinnaticlimateweek.org.

Source: Highland County Press

By Green Umbrella, Press Release

As communities across the Midwest grapple with flooding, rising energy costs, aging infrastructure, and increasing uncertainty, leaders from across the region will gather at the Midwest Sustainability Summit to explore what it takes to build systems that can adapt, endure, and thrive. 

The Summit’s plenary panel, A Resilient Midwest: Building Thriving Systems That Last, will bring together leaders working across climate adaptation, energy, water systems, Indigenous leadership, and community resilience to explore how communities can adapt and thrive amid growing uncertainty.

Panelists include Dr. Rebecca Carter, former Director of Climate Adaptation and Resilience at the World Resources Institute and the Summit’s keynote speaker; Elizabeth Riggs, Great Lakes Regional Director for American Rivers; Tremaine Phillips, President of Third Coast Strategies; Gaby Roque, Climate & Migration Program Manager at the National Partnership for New Americans; and Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard, Executive Director of the Urban Native Collective.

Together, the panelists bring perspectives that span watershed restoration, climate adaptation planning, energy and policy strategy, and community-centered resilience. The discussion will highlight practical strategies and examples while exploring how communities can move from extractive models toward systems rooted in reciprocity, stewardship, and collective leadership.

“The Midwest has an opportunity to lead in building communities that are not only prepared for disruption, but positioned to emerge stronger because of how they invest in people, infrastructure, and collaboration,” said Charlie Gonzalez, Director of Engagement & Strategic Partnerships at Green Umbrella. “Resilience isn’t just about responding to challenges—it’s about creating the conditions for communities to thrive, even amid uncertainty.”

The Midwest Sustainability Summit takes place June 12 at the Sharonville Convention Center, bringing together more than 600 business, nonprofit, government, academic, and community leaders for a full day of learning, networking, and climate solutions. The event features nearly 100 speakers, 20 breakout sessions, an exhibitor expo, interactive experiences, an electric vehicle showcase, art exhibition, live performances, and a networking reception.

The Summit is the cornerstone event of Cincinnati’s inaugural Climate Week, a region-wide celebration of climate action taking place June 8–14. From beekeeping workshops and solar tours to film screenings and sustainability festivals, the week features more than 50 events across Greater Cincinnati, showcasing local solutions, community leadership, and opportunities for residents to engage in building a more resilient future.

To learn more about Cincinnati Climate Week and view the full calendar of events, visit cincinnaticlimateweek.org.

Green Umbrella, the Tri-State’s Regional Climate Collaborative, leads cross-sector collaboration to accelerate climate action across Greater Cincinnati.

Source: Edible Ohio Valley

Source: MSN

Cincinnati, Ohio: The City That Named Itself a Haven

Cincinnati formally labeled itself a future climate refuge in its 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan. That’s a notable move for any American city – putting the language of climate migration directly into official policy documents. Cincinnati is also using sophisticated forecasting tools to determine how climate change influences migration patterns and to adapt its policies around housing and infrastructure.

In 2025, Cincinnati became the first U.S. city to complete a dedicated climate mobility plan, led by the regional climate collaborative Green Umbrella with the support of the Lincoln Institute and HDR. That distinction matters. It signals not just an awareness of climate risk, but a concrete institutional commitment to planning for the people who may arrive seeking safety.

View the rest of the list here.

Source: Cincinnati Magazine

This year, Green Umbrella is launching the first-ever Cincinnati Climate Week (June 8–14, 2026), a new regional initiative focused on climate solutions, sustainability, and building a more resilient future. The week will bring together businesses, nonprofits, educators, local governments, community organizations, and residents through dozens of events across Greater Cincinnati.

Events will include workshops, networking events, tours, webinars, film screenings, volunteer opportunities, family activities, and local festivals. Together, they are designed to spark connection, collaboration, and action across the region.

At the center of Cincinnati Climate Week is the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, the region’s largest sustainability conference, returning to the Sharonville Convention Center on Friday, June 12. Hosted by Green Umbrella, the Summit brings together nearly 700 business, nonprofit, government, and community leaders for a full day of inspiring conversations, practical solutions, and meaningful networking.

This year’s Summit theme, Adapt Today, Thrive Tomorrow, explores how communities and organizations can respond to a rapidly changing world. “Across the Midwest, communities are navigating extreme weather, economic uncertainty, shifting political priorities, rapid technological change, and growing social polarization,” says Charlie Gonzalez, Green Umbrella’s Director of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships. “The Summit asks what it means not just to withstand disruption, but to adapt, evolve, and build systems that can thrive in the face of uncertainty.”

The conference will feature nearly 100 speakers, 45 exhibitors, an art show, live performances, and interactive workshops. Sessions will explore climate resilience, business sustainability, transportation, food systems, emergency preparedness, green workforce development, climate justice, and the circular economy.

Keynote speaker Dr. Rebecca Carter brings a global perspective to the Midwest’s most pressing sustainability challenges. A leading voice in climate adaptation and resilience, Carter previously served as Director of Climate Adaptation and Resilience at the World Resources Institute and as a USAID Foreign Service Environment Officer in Indonesia, Uganda, and the Philippines. Her work focuses on helping communities and institutions respond to disruption while building long-term resilience and shared prosperity.

Cincinnati Climate Week continues beyond the Summit with additional featured programming, including the Green & Healthy Schools Symposium on June 13. Hosted at Rockdale Academy, a CPS school, the Symposium will bring together educators, students, health leaders, and community partners to explore how schools can become healthier, greener, and more resilient places for students and communities alike.

Whether you work in business, government, education, the nonprofit sector, or simply care about the future of our region, Cincinnati Climate Week is an opportunity to connect with the people and ideas shaping a more resilient Midwest. Join a growing movement of leaders, innovators, educators, advocates, and residents working together to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions and lasting regional impact.

Learn more, explore the full program, and register at CincinnatiClimateWeek.org and MidwestSustainabilitySummit.org.

Source: LINK NKY

Democratic county candidates from around the region came out to the Erlanger branch of the Kenton County Public Library this week to discuss conservation, planning, economic growth and other issues on the minds of local voters.

Questions spanned a variety of topics but mostly focused on conservation, land use and infrastructure planning, environmental issues and how different institutions interact on a local, countywide and regional level. A theme quickly emerged among the discussions: The candidates believed there needed be a greater degree of intention and deliberation behind county decision making.

Not every Democrat running in the region participated in the forum. The ones that attended are all running for county commissioner positions: Ben Bach for Kenton County District 2, Jordan Baldridge for Kenton County District 3, Sarah Froelich for Kenton County District 1, Lianna Nguyen for Boone County District 2, Brant Owens for Campbell County District 3 and Debra Waller for Boone County District 1.

The event was organized by Green Umbrella, a Cincinnati-based regional climate collaborative. Other local organizations contributed to the event’s planning and furnished questions. Constituents also furnished questions to Green Umbrella prior to the event.

“At some point it feels like growth became the goal–more development, more growth,” said Owens. “When in reality, the goal should be… are our counties good places to live?”

This emphasis on being smart about economic growth was a repeated concern among the candidates, as it inevitably affected people’s quality of life.

“If you get more intentional about where you’re building houses, you can build infrastructure,” said Bach. “You can build transportation. If you have increased transportation, you have better workforce development. You can get the people to go to the jobs where they need to go. Everything starts having a virtuous cycle, instead of a negative cycle.”

Speaking of transportation, nearly all of the candidates emphasized the need for greater investments and better planning around public transit and multi-modal forms of transport. Nguyen also pitched the idea of mandatory recycling in Boone County.

This dovetailed with other points about planning and how the region is spending its money and energy generally. At one point, the moderator referenced a 2022 study that suggested counties in Ohio could expect an increase in municipal spending between $1.8 billion and $5.9 billion per year as climate problems worsen. Although the study didn’t take place in Kentucky, the moderator argued Kentucky counties would likely see similar increases.

“Our county focuses a lot on development and a lot of building things, but we don’t focus on prevention,” Baldridge said, adding he would be in favor of curtailing PILOTs and other tax incentives to increase tax revenue.

Nguyen echoed this, saying that “big corporations within the county [need] to start paying their taxes so that money can flow back into the county.”

“We need to pass universal pre-k for all,” Nguyen also said, as a way of planning for the future. Several other candidates also called for investments in various educational programs.

“All of these different issues, they seem to be different, but they meld together,” Waller said.

There was also a call for greater connectedness between the region’s many communities and green spaces. Froelich discussed the Brent Spence project and argued that connections between green spaces hadn’t been prioritized.

“One way that could be so much better is having bike trails, having better pedestrian accessibility, but that hasn’t been built into the Brent Spence bridge project,” Froelich said. “And I think there’s still room for it.”

Check out profiles and previous coverage of the candidates below, and head over to LINK nky’s Election HQ to stay up to date on election news throughout Northern Kentucky.

• Ben Bach
• Jordan Baldridge
• Sarah Froelich
• Lianna Nguyen
• Brant Owens
• Debra Walker

Source: WXVU

Northern Kentucky County Commissioner candidates gathered Wednesday to talk about their ideas for balancing economic growth with environmental preservation. But for many, the most important focus was addressing issues affecting the counties now, before growth happens.

The forum took place in Erlanger at the Kenton County Public Library and was organized by Green Umbrella, in collaboration with other green space and environmental organizations across the region.

As members of the fiscal court, county commissioners can set county-wide policies, act as a point of contact for community needs and manage county budgets — which can often include, or exclude, environmental priorities.

Only Democratic candidates for County Commissioner from Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties attended. They included: Debra Waller, Boone County District 1; Lianna Nguyen, Boone County District 2; Benjamin Bach, Kenton County District 2; Jordan Baldridge, Kenton County District 3; Sarah Froelich, Kenton County District 1; Brant Owens, Campbell County District 3.

Baldrigde is the only candidate on the primary ballot, running against Democratic candidate John Busse. The rest are running unopposed, so they will skip the primary vote and be on the ballot for the general election in November.

Candidates overwhelmingly spoke of prevention strategies for issues that are already affecting the community, such as affordable housing and outdated sewage systems, by focusing on planning and development that build on what already exists.

Some advocated for infrastructure that builds on other infrastructure, such as houses surrounding parks, trails between commutes, and improvements on bus lines. Given the commissioners’ role as part of the fiscal court, others talked specifically about assuring financial decisions are transparent and aligned.

Zoning and land use

Candidates had different ideas about how land use should be decided in fiscal court.

Bach’s campaign largely focuses on land use; he said zoning is what everything eventually trickles down to. He said in planning, you have to be intentional about where you set houses, then build around people’s lives in that way.

“You can build transportation,” Bach said. “If you have an increase in transportation, you have better workforce development. You can get the people to go to the jobs where they need to go. Everything starts having a virtuous cycle, instead of a negative cycle.”

Baldridge comes from a technical background, and also said zoning needs to be more transparent to people’s needs. That comes down to when and how information is broken down — and he suggested the county could create short videos to break down proposals to help people understand the process of land use decisions.

“You could try to go to every meeting, and you can try to speak up at every single one, but you don’t really have a voice,” Baldridge said.

Others focused on people-oriented infrastructure and construction plans.

Nguyen said repurposing what already exists in the county, such as abandoned buildings, should be the priority.

“If we’re going to build something new we have to be intentional,” she said.

Owens also spoke about growth, and commented on the region’s focus on building more.

“When growth becomes the method you use to measure success, you blow past conservation,” Owens said. “I’m not anti-growth, I’m not pro-growth. [But] is what’s in front of me making life better?”

Froelich brought up the Brent Spence Bridge Companion project. She said, as a Park Hills resident, she feels there was little thought about connecting green spaces amid the large-scale impact of the project.

“Having bike space, having pedestrian accessibility, but that hasn’t been built into the Brent Spence [Companion] Bridge project and I think there’s room for it,” Froelich said, mentioning that she is currently in talks with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Froelich had an overall focus on infrastructure — saying it is key to balancing growth with conservancy. She campaigns for bus lines, bike and walking trails that connect housing and work spaces.

On regional collaboration for environmental protection

When it comes to the environment, county lines can be irrelevant. Candidates had different perspectives on how to improve regional collaboration to tackle these issues.

Owens said that with the rise of regional entities, there is a concern of them bypassing zoning regulations in specific counties.

“We need to build in safeguards and checks and balances so people know that ‘yes, we are being listened to and we can trust, to a certain extent, they’re doing the work they say they’re doing,’” Owens said.

Many candidates also discussed the importance of prevention — investing in strategies now that will save money and mitigate environmental challenges in the future.

For Waller, economic growth comes down to conservancy. She said for businesses to grow, you need skilled workers, and for that you need a good education system and a healthy environment.

“All of that builds on each other and having poisoned water supply or unsafe plumbing, unsafe sewage treatment, or all of these different issues that seem to be different, but they meld together,” Waller said. “They are part of the point of success.”

The primary election is May 19, and the general election is Nov. 3.

Source: Children & Nature Network

Cincinnati, Ohio, is best known for the Reds and Skyline Chili. But in the children and nature movement, the city is also synonymous with green schoolyards.

The Cincinnati Green Schoolyards initiative has an ambitious goal: providing safe, outdoor learning spaces at all Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) campuses by 2028. It’s nearly there.

As of 2025, 60 of 66 Cincinnati public schools now have green space, including 20 new green schoolyards. Schools use these spaces for outdoor learning and play during the day, and children, families and the public can enjoy them outside of school hours.

This didn’t happen overnight. And it didn’t happen alone.

Cincinnati’s green schoolyards initiative began eight years ago as CPS Outside, a collaboration between the school board and park board. They joined the Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative in 2018, the CCCN’s Green Schoolyards Technical Assistance Cohort in 2021, and the Nature Everywhere Communities initiative in 2023. These programs provided technical support and seed funding to hire a coordinator and develop a green schoolyards implementation plan.

The Green Schoolyards Action Network (GSAN) now leads this work in Cincinnati. The GSAN is a robust collaboration that includes the city, CPS, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, parents and students. In 2024, this network connected 50 schools to outdoor activities, engaged 10,989 students in nature-based learning, supported 272 educators with professional development and delivered 170 programs to schools via local partners.

The GSAN recently completed Ripple Effects Mapping as part of the Nature Everywhere Communities evaluation process to understand these successes. This participatory evaluation process revealed that the Green Schoolyards Action Network — like Cincinnati’s “5-Way Chili”— leveraged five key ingredients:

1. Strengthening partnerships and collaboration
2. Transforming policy and practice in Cincinnati Public Schools
3. Driving academic success and workforce development through agriculture programs
4. Centering justice and youth leadership in programs and green spaces
5. Growing grassroots efforts into city-wide policy and planning 

Strengthening partnerships and collaboration

The first theme that emerged from Ripple Effect Mapping was that the Green Schoolyards Action Network’s success has stemmed from its multi-sector collaborative partnerships. Establishing the GSAN not only strengthened the relationship between the City and school board, who are “now moving lock-in-step together,” it also extended a long-standing initiative into a formal partnership with more than 30 organizations.

Buoyed by a broad network of cross-sector partners, the green schoolyards initiative now goes beyond installing green spaces. Convened by Greater Cincinnati’s Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative, the GSAN has connected green schoolyards to regional climate action initiatives, sustainable infrastructure, school wellness, green workforce development, and agricultural-based career and technical education pathways for CPS students.

This collaboration has overcome silos to create action. For example, partners created a green assets map to share data on outdoor learning spaces, school gardens, orchards and tree canopy to inform local decision-making, identify gaps and plan joint initiatives to connect schools, parks and recreation centers across the metropolitan area. Partner organizations have also come together to solve logistical problems and to raise more than $1 million in new funding.

With this collaborative structure, partners are excited to solve problems, collectively manage assets and collaborate on shared grants with a “shared understanding that we cannot do this alone.”

Transforming policy and practice in Cincinnati Public Schools 

At the same time, Cincinnati Public Schools has shifted from scattered, school-by-school approaches to system-wide changes at the district level. CPS is not only developing green spaces but also embedding environmental education into K-12 curriculum and providing teacher learning modules to support district-wide implementation of outdoor teaching and learning.

Green schoolyards are now embedded in the school district’s wellness policies and sustainability plan. They also house their career and technical education program in agriculture and a successful farm-to-school program — where CPS Dining Services sources 20–24% of its food from campus farms and gardens, particularly the student-run farm at Aiken High School.

CPS agricultural pathways

Aiken farm grew out of the GSAN’s green schoolyards partnerships. High school students helped transform an after-school garden club into a working farm on the campus of Aiken High School. The farm houses an agricultural career track focused on green workplace learning opportunities. Here, high school students plant trees for air quality, test water quality, manage the farm and sell local produce to the school district and local community.

The agriculture pathway is one of the fastest-growing workforce programs in the school district. CPS also credits this program for the district meeting state standards for career, college, and military readiness for the first time.

Centering justice and youth leadership

Educators and students explained that the agriculture pathway also increases equity by directing programs to kids who will benefit most, providing vocational track students a high-skill pathway that “non-Ag” students see every day.

The farm has also increased access to food in a neighborhood without access to a grocery store. The community can purchase fresh produce from the farm and also access its grounds to enjoy the health benefits of nearby nature: “We did not expect to see so many community members visit and use our Aiken Garden for food, animal interactions, and hiking through our prairie and woods.”

The CSAN’s work has addressed environmental justice and community health more broadly, including a partnership with La Soupe, where students and community members learn what to do with surplus food and get it to people who can use it.

Growing grassroots efforts into city-wide policy and planning 

Finally, the GSAN has established institutional linkages to align the school district’s green schoolyards initiatives with a range of strategic plans, policies, and practices across the city and greater Cincinnati region. Aligning the CPS agricultural pathway with the state’s career and technical education requirements and the city’s green workforce goals has secured broader political support to expand green schoolyards.  

The strategic alignment of the CPS Sustainability Plan with the Green Cincinnati Plan also created the institutional framework necessary to secure funding and develop green infrastructure, resulting in tangible progress toward the goal of “100% schools have safe and accessible outdoor learning spaces.”

These local partnerships ultimately culminated in the City Council passing the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights in 2024, affirming nature access as a right for every child. 

Overcoming challenges to create systems change

Systems change takes time. Fortunately, Cincinnati’s extended participation in national initiatives to grow the children and nature movement has allowed the Green Schoolyards Action Network to overcome challenges and effect change at the structural, relational and transformational levels, including:

• Relational change: Establishing a formal network of reciprocal partnerships has encouraged resource sharing, shared funding, and cross-organizational relationships that overcome silos to get things done.
• Structural change: The GSAN has institutionalized multi-level support for green schoolyards by aligning them with the school district’s strategic plans, the city’s sustainable infrastructure and green workforce development plans, regional climate action initiatives and the state’s career and technical education requirements.
• Transformational change: The GSAN’s successes have shifted perceptions of outdoor education from an extracurricular add-on to a core part of education, and helped environmental organizations collaborate rather than compete for resources and partnerships with local schools. 

In Cincinnati’s case, green schoolyards offered a strategic approach for creating more equitable access to nature for children while also advancing sustainable infrastructure and green workforce development. Other cities might learn from the successes of the GSAN’s robust partnerships to increase children’s access to nature everywhere they live, learn and play.

Source: Signal

Meeting summary:

• Coordinators of a plan to turn green spaces on school campuses into outdoor classrooms are looking for someone to be the liaison between plan partners that include Cincinnati Public Schools, city departments and several community organizations.
• Cincinnati is continuing efforts to remove broken parking meters as part of a project one city council member said is a key step to removing blight.

Documenter’s follow-up question:

• How does Cincinnati Public Schools market the ideals of the Greener Schools partnership to parents fearful of a future controlled by AI?
• The parking meter seems to be going the way of the Dodo bird. Why doesn’t the city just get rid of all meters in favor of smartphone technology?

Notes

Scene

Cincinnati City Council’s Climate, City Services & Infrastructure Committee met in Room 300, City Hall, 801 Plum St., downtown. Committee Chairwoman Meeka Owens called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m. The committee adjourned at 11:24 a.m.

Committee Members

Meeka Owens, chair

Ryan James, vice chair

Mark Jeffreys, council member

Seth Walsh, council member

TIME SPENT

00 minutes: Public comment

02 minutes: Removing broken parking meters

78 minutes: Keep Cincinnati Beautiful/Green School Yards update

Item 1. Motion asking for the estimated cost of removing broken parking meters

Council Member Mark Jeffreys introduced the action. The motion asked city administration to share data on current parking meter revenue from blighted, broken parking meter locations compared to the average revenue per spot.

Blighted and broken meters throughout Cincinnati create confusion for drivers, reduce parking turnover and can lead to unnecessary disputes or fines, the council member said in a March 9 memo that explained his motion. When meters are visibly damaged or neglected, they also contribute to the perception of urban neglect, Jeffreys said in his statement, which can discourage visitors, hurt nearby businesses and undermine community pride. Removing them is a key step in reducing blight in the city, he said.

Jeffreys said city administration estimates that there were 700 to 800 broken parking meters, where the top has been broken off.  He said 350 have been removed so far.

The committee forwarded the motion to the full council without objection.

Item 2. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful/Green School Yards update

The lead coordinators of Strategic Partnerships for Greener Schools are looking to hire someone whose role would be to coordinate the collaboration between Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), several community organizations and city departments involved in the Green School Yards Plan. The liaison’s responsibilities would include coordinating maintenance strategies for CPS green spaces, aligning fundraising and grant strategies and supporting work-based learning internships for students.

“We are at the beginning stages of what this might look like,” Kirsten Brademeyer, of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, said of the liaison position. There are so many players in the partnership, she said, “we need someone to partner with CPS and the funding sources to ensure that projects are being done right.” There are at least 22 listed partners in the Green School Yards Plan, some of which include the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, Hamilton County Conservation District, Cincinnati Recreation Commission, University of Cincinnati Field Office and Ohio State University Extension office.

Cynthia Walters, of Green Umbrella, said, “We are talking about a person who would also incorporate all those things [such as building maintenance, energy efficiency and transportation] besides external outdoor spaces.”

CPS COO Chris Burkhardt, in his part of the presentation, said the education goals of the 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan are that every public school have safe and accessible outdoor learning spaces by 2028 and that the district has 4,000 individuals trained for green economy jobs by 2028 (an average of 800 individuals per year).

Right now, students at 60 CPS locations have “some sort of access to outdoor learning,” including one-minute walks to parks, but the number does not mean those 60 schools have an outdoor learning feature, according to the presentation.

The Green School Yards Plan calls for CPS and its partners to embed work-based learning, internships and youth employment opportunities related to green space maintenance, environmental stewardship and urban ecology. According to information presented at the meeting, the city has invested $224,703 in green space and environmental projects across 10 funded projects at 13 CPS campuses.

Burkhardt said CPS has been working to meet several priorities, including using electric mowing and trimming equipment and harvesting rainwater. Probably the biggest change among the priorities people will see is the creation of outdoor learning spaces that include classrooms, gardens and walking trails to city recreation centers, parks and neighborhoods “to make this city as walkable as possible.”

This summer will be the first in a long time that CPS will offer paid internships, where students will work alongside maintenance crews in tending to school grounds. The district is hoping the opportunity creates pathways to careers, he said, noting, “Classroom learning is even better when students can touch, feel and be outside” and that also means adding curricula to create and maintain sustainable grounds.

“We’ve made significant strides in the last two to three years,” he said.

Campus green spaces are community-learning-center models, he said, noting that the school is part of the community.

“Our goal is to start connecting all of our campuses together – trails, sidewalks, some paths that aren’t there yet. It’s about connecting our communities together, as well as making the schools a community-learning center,” not just for students, but for families to come nights and weekends when school is not in session.”

He cited as an example the Western Hills – Dater campus that is near a Kroger, retail stores and a trail to a nearby city recreation center.

Walters said, “We really need the champion at the district level” because principals and teachers come and go. She said she hopes Burkhardt stays around for a long time.

She warned that the Greener Schools Partnership, in its efforts to turn campus green spaces into classrooms that students and communities can use, needs to think about safety for these sites. “We have to recognize that all schools are not ready for an outdoor learning space,” she said.

For context, she said the Green School Yards timeline began in 2017 with CPS Outside, whose mandate was that all students have access to nature. Student voices moved to the forefront of the initiative in 2024 at the first green schoolyards summit, which was convened at Aiken High School. City Council in that same year passed a resolution supporting the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.

True change is happening now, Walters said, noting that the district covers 900 acres. But the impact is more than green schoolyards, she said, it’s about the mental and physical wellbeing of students. The impact needs to be coordinated and collective, Walters said.

Walters expressed excitement about another Greener Schools proposal: Mapping CPS into three outdoor learning hubs – west, central and east. The idea is to establish model schools in each corridor to serve as labs to outdoor learning so students at schools not able to do outdoor learning, for whatever reason, can participate.

She called attention to a planned June 13 Green and Healthy Schools symposium. There will be further discussions about the future of sustainable school communities.

Council Member Owens, who at the start of the meeting said, “Every young person in the city of Cincinnati deserves the right to access space,” asked Walters and Brademeyer several questions.

One was: How can the Greener Schools project be institutionalized? 

Walters said Columbus City Schools just passed a framework plan for green campuses that the CPS partnership can study. She also said the Green and Healthy Schools Guide is due out May 1. It is the playbook for workforce development, school community wellness, expanding and maintaining green space for CPS, all districts in the region and beyond.

Districts can adopt policy statements that mandate requirements, she continued, much like statements drafted on healthy foods.

“If we embed those types of policy statements into what is required for all school districts that participate in the national school lunch program, and align the goals of the Green Cincinnati plan to policy, those efforts are in writing and [serve as] an action plan for future work,” she said.

Brademeyer, responding to a question from Owens about how to expand future job opportunities, said, “Our biggest concern is that we have employment partners that are hiring the students that participate in our workforce programs. We know what the barriers to entry are.”

She mentioned academic help to equip students, such as the agriculture-education programs at Aiken New Tech, Clark Montessori, Gamble Montessori and the Zoo Academy. Walters mentioned a green pathway through agriculture-education starting in middle school (there is a pilot at College Hill Academy via a garden-based program that connects to a high school credential program) .

Exposing students to experiential learning would improve matching young people looking for careers with employers, she said. Right now, there are more than 50 applicants for 15 positions in the Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Roots-for-Boots work development program (now two years old), Brademeyer said. Funding work-based learning and workforce development is a pathway and more appealing than allotting a certain percentage of budget just for maintenance, she said, because it provides opportunities to expose students to careers, they might not have thought about.

Walters said another barrier to be overcome would be to train school counselors more about environment, conservation, outdoor learning, and the importance of and the need to fill green jobs. “If we figure that out, we will open up the pipeline,” she said.

The committee, without objection, filed the report.

The meeting adjourned at 11:24 a.m.

Source: Movers & Makers

Movers & Makers reached out this month to organizations that work to enhance our regional water resources. We asked them to help showcase their notables as part of M&M’s continuing effort to recognize individuals making a difference in Greater Cincinnati’s nonprofit ecosystem.

---

Jaeydah Edwards, Groundwork Ohio River Valley

Jaeydah Edwards has been involved with Groundwork ORV since its founding. Her dedication shines in every interaction, and has allowed her to grow within the organization to become senior program director. 

Groundwork ORV works with communities to improve urban environments and address climate challenges such as flooding, air pollution and urban heat islands.

Drawing from her childhood experiences enjoying outdoor activities, she inspires others by teaching future generations that Black people do belong outside and in environmental fields. 

Beyond her professional impact, Edwards is a vibrant presence in her community, enjoying reading, thrifting with her sister and stargazing. Her commitment, energy and advocacy embody the values of leadership, mentorship and inclusivity in environmental work.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, nature walks, and visiting local thrift stores with her sister. 

---

Nicole Clements, Banklick Watershed Council

When you drink your clean tap water or enjoy the beauty of creeks and lakes in Kenton County, thank Nicole Clements for championing Banklick Watershed Council’s efforts to restore and protect local waterways. As watershed coordinator, Clements leads the council’s activities to reduce pollution, preserve habitats and strengthen creek ecosystems to better serve both wildlife and the community.

Clements partners with federal, state and local agencies to identify pollution sources and implement long-term solutions. She also prioritizes public access, helping transform restored waterways into greenspaces that invite recreation, education and connection.

BWC was named the 2025 Kentucky Watershed Group of the Year, thanks largely to Clements’ leadership. Through thoughtful stewardship and community engagement, she is helping to ensure that clean, healthy water remains central to our region’s future.

When she’s not traveling or volunteering for her daughter’s marching band, Clements can be found gardening or tackling home renovation projects.

---

Annette Shumard, Foundation for Ohio River Education

Water connects communities across our region, and Annette Shumard is working to ensure people understand and protect the Ohio River and its shared waterways. As executive director and board president of the Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE) and communications and outreach director for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), she bridges water quality science with community engagement. 

FORE supports ORSANCO, an interstate pollution control agency with authority to operate water quality programs. FORE teaches people to become stewards through hands-on programs that highlight ORSANCO’s water quality data, and Shumard works to transform this data into public programming. At ORSANCO she works with member states and partner agencies to develop communications that make water quality data more accessible and relatable.

Outside of work, she enjoys riding her bike and walking along local trails with her senior dog, Rihanna, and she believes that meaningful connections to nature inspire lifelong stewardship.

---

Claire Carlson, Green Umbrella

Claire Carlson is Green Umbrella’s greenspace alliance manager. An avid environmental conservationist, Carlson is devoted to protecting our natural resources. In her home state, she served as the Northeast Iowa watershed planning coordinator. In her role at Green Umbrella, she leads, informs and equips local partners to collaborate on greenspace planning and protection. 

Most recently, Carlson has focused her efforts on exploring green infrastructure and riparian restoration solutions to protect and improve water quality and supply, and reduce flooding impacts in our local communities. She is passionate about sharing her love of hiking, leading “meet a green-space” hikes throughout Greater Cincinnati. Her favorite swimming hole is Gunpowder Creek in Burlington, Kentucky. 

Carlson is always ready to share her belief in the healing, restorative power of nature, and her enthusiasm is so contagious that she is helping to inspire the next phase of local climate action.

---

Melinda Voss, Ohio River Foundation

Melinda Voss, the Ohio River Foundation’s education programs manager, continues to raise the bar for exceptional conservation education in Greater Cincinnati. Voss manages 14 professional educators who engage students and teachers in ORF’s innovative, hands-on, STEM-based education programs including River Explorer, the ground-breaking Mussels in the Classroom and the foundation’s summer conservation course. 

Under her leadership, ORF education programming has increased more than 100% in the last two years to reach more than 9,000 students with 40,000 hours of instruction at 60 schools. Voss is leading the drive to increase the capacity of the state-of-the-art mussels facility to meet the extraordinary program demand. The expansion also will support opportunities to establish endangered freshwater mussel populations in regional waters as a part of an ongoing habitat restoration program that has reconnected and restored more than 300 miles of rivers.

---

Sara Brandts, Oxbow Inc.

As the first executive director of Oxbow Inc., Sara Brandts is making waves in wetland conservation. Oxbow is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting and improving the floodplain at the confluence of the Great Miami River and Ohio River. Since joining in April 2025, Brandts has embodied this mission in all that she does, from habitat restoration and community engagement to cultivating donor relations and hiring additional staff.

Before Oxbow, she spent more than 15 years with a nonprofit focused on improving the health and water quality of the Ohio River watershed, building partnerships and advancing conservation across the basin. A career environmentalist, she brings extensive nonprofit leadership and field experience to her role.

Brandts is committed to protecting the Oxbow in perpetuity. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her three children and being outdoors – especially near the water.

---

Beth Knox, Adventure Crew

Growing up in the Winton Terrace projects, Beth Knox experienced the negative effects of poor air and water quality firsthand. That inspired her to work in wastewater treatment; she now serves as a plant operator for the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati and is an outdoor specialist for Adventure Crew. 

During high school, Knox joined Adventure Crew as a teen participant. She loved the experience so much that she has stayed on as a part-time outdoor staff member for more than a decade.

Knox recently traveled to Nicaragua to dig water wells and install pipes, helping provide a community with clean drinking water. She is working on a project to introduce girls in her former neighborhood to the joys of camping, and is studying Spanish to improve communication with the Crew’s immigrant population. When she’s not working at MSD or Adventure Crew, Knox enjoys camping and salsa dancing.

---

Beth Himburg, Mill Creek Alliance

Beth Himburg is a rare emerging leader who combines experience in natural resource management, water quality and outdoor recreation with community organizing skills and genuine love and empathy for people. 

As director of programs, Himburg oversees Mill Creek Alliance’s water quality monitoring, recreation, environmental education and recreation programs. She’s also passionate about building diverse, resilient and connected ecosystems and communities through public engagement and civic investment.

When not working, Himburg loves to spend time mountain biking and baking. She is also a vocalist who loves making music and being inspired by live performances.