Seemingly small changes occurring in our cities, counties, and townships have a bigger impact on our day-to-day lives than the swinging of the national political pendulum. County commissioners are elected officials that have more influence on what happens in your communities than you might realize. Greenspace Alliance Manager Claire Carlson wrote a piece on our blog about how county commissioners impact greenspace and conservation - read it at the link here.

Live in NKY? Come to the Candidate Forum on April 22 at the Erlanger library to hear about the plans your local county commissioner candidates have for greenspace preservation and economic development in Northern Kentucky. This event is co-hosted by The Hillside Trust, Tri-State Trails, CORA, and Ohio River Way.

Last week, the entire Green Umbrella team had a working day with the Common Orchard Project at the Camp Washington Perennial Farm. We transplanted budding plants into larger pots where they’ll grow a bit larger before being added in between fruit trees at orchards around the region. We also watered potted trees and shrubs before holding our regular all-staff meeting. It was a lovely day in the sunshine.

Sound heavenly? You can get your hands dirty too at our regular volunteer days at the farm every third Saturday of the month from 9:00 am-12:00 pm (including this Saturday, April 18). No prior experience is needed and everyone is welcome.

Learn more about volunteer days here.

Thanks to a generous matching grant from Bruce & Karen Berno, your donations this spring will be DOUBLED up to $20,000! You can donate on our website here or find us on Venmo: @GreenUmbrellaRCC. We’re grateful for your continued support!

We’re so excited to share our new Green Umbrella merch! We have 100% cotton t-shirts, hats, and tote bags produced on-demand locally by Driftwood Design Co. in Silverton. Check out the designs and order your new look here!

Be part of the first Cincinnati Climate Week (June 8-14)! Event submissions are now open and we’re hosting an info session on April 27. We’re also looking for volunteer Climate Week Ambassadors to help us amplify the event!

June 12: Midwest Sustainability Summit will feature 20 breakout sessions, an art show, poster session, and live performances. We’re excited to begin announcing the program next week! Sneak peak: One session explores the full arc of local Climate Action Planning from development to implementation and impact, with speakers from Kettering and Oberlin. Another dives into sustainable policy solutions for data center development, with speakers from Alliance for the Great Lakes and Power a Clean Future Ohio. Register today to secure your spot!

June 13: Green & Healthy Schools Symposium will bring together educators, students, and partners to explore how schools can advance district-wide strategies for green schoolyards, workforce development, and school community wellness. The event will feature a keynote by Children & Nature Network’s Brenda Kessler, a plenary on expanding K–12 green career pathways, and a Garden Party with self-guided tours of the Rockdale Learning Garden, hands-on exhibits, and opportunities to connect. Early-bird tickets available through 4/30.

The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is part of a lawsuit against the EPA for the recent repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding. The finding determined that greenhouse gas pollution harms public health and welfare and forms the foundation for federal climate action. “The US EPA will not get away with eviscerating the endangerment finding, and the Ohio Environmental Council is proud to join the national fight to oppose this pro-polluter decision,” says Chris Tavenor, General Counsel at the Ohio Environmental Council. 

Composting is an easy way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create valuable “black gold” that can be put back into your yard or flower pots. Through May 19, Hamilton County ReSource is hosting free seminars that offer an easy entry into composting. “The importance of seminars is that composting feels intimidating; sometimes, they just need to see the basic steps,” Elise Earhart, outreach specialist at Hamilton County ReSource, shared with CityBeat. “We help make people confident in composting and relieve the fear. It’s not difficult. I just want people to feel comfortable when they leave.” Learn more and see the seminar schedule here.

The Ohio River Foundation recently launched the 1000 Acres Pollinator Habitat Project, which aims to create or restore more than a thousand acres of native habitat that will attract and support important local pollinator species. The project is largely aimed at Eastern monarch butterflies but will focus on a variety of plantings to support other pollinators like bees and birds. The foundation is working with seven organizations in Ohio and Indiana to set aside land and grow native plants that will attract and feed pollinators. Learn more about the project here.

April 22 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance and partners invite you to join us for an in-person candidate forum about balancing economic development and greenspace preservation in Northern Kentucky for County Commissioner candidates running for local office in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties. All candidates will be invited to share their positions and plans on issues related to development and greenspace preservation and will answer questions from partners and the public. You can submit questions for the candidates and register for the forum here.

Click here for the full Events Calendar. Members can submit events in the Green Umbrella online portal here.

April 25 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join Oxbow, Inc. and the Greenspace Alliance for the 2026 Give a Hoot for Oxbow – Volunteer Series! This series will include monthly opportunities to volunteer at the Oxbow Nature Conservancy and make a positive difference for wetlands! Each event will focus on a specific task related to habitat restoration. We hope you will join us for the first series event, Give a Hoot for Oxbow – Spring River Sweep! See here for more information, how to register, and how to complete the volunteer waiver prior to the day of the event.

La Soupe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Walnut Hills. Their chef-based model utilizes a large volunteer network to rescue perishables from farms, grocers, and wholesalers. The role of Education Food Prep Coordinator supports the Education Class Manager and works alongside the Materials Coordinator to prepare, manage, execute and close out scheduled culinary education classes.

Have an event, volunteer opportunity, or job posting to share? Green Umbrella members can submit them via the online Membership Portal. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, click here.