Our Executive Director, Van Sullivan, is making the rounds! This is your chance to learn more about Green Umbrella’s new leadership. You can watch a video of their recent Instagram AMA here (make sure to follow us on Instagram if you aren’t already!); check out their exclusive interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer; and meet them in person at our next Green Drinks at West Side Brewing on September 17.

Our small but mighty team of Chris, Mel, and the incredible volunteer orchard stewards have been busy with maintenance, care, and harvesting, for fruit that has taken years to cultivate. From the Common Orchard Facebook page:

“We're right in the thick of harvest season, and this year we're on track for something big: an estimated 5,000 pounds of fruit will get picked across our orchards by the time the season wraps.

Every pound stays local – in the hands of the person who picked it, or routed to a partner pantry through one of our feeding programs. We try to avoid trucking and travel, just fruit trees doing what they do best, blocks from where you live.

If you haven't been out to an orchard yet this season, now's the time – connect with a steward and learn more.”

Learn more about the Common Orchard Project on our website, follow us on our Facebook page for regular updates, and volunteer at the farm on September 19 (and every third Saturday of the month).

Did the extreme heat drive up your energy bills this summer? Did your neighborhood or home get hit by the flash floods in July? Did your trees die from the drought? Did you have to change plans outside because of wildfire smoke in the air? These are all impacts of climate change, and they matter.

We want to hear the stories and share the voices of residents in a new Greater Cincinnati Climate Storybank. This storybank will feature the experiences and feelings of the Tri-State community, giving us a place to share in the collective experience of living through climate change.

You can submit your story here. You’ll receive an email when the Greater Cincinnati Climate Storybank is ready on our website.

We’re excited to welcome Alison Green to the team full-time! She previously worked with us to help plan the Midwest Sustainability Summit and the region’s first Cincinnati Climate Week. She previously served as Manager of Operations & Partnerships at Remake, where she led their global Changemaker community program, focusing on coalition building and policy education, just transition in supply chains, and grassroots leadership, specifically in the fashion industry.

Join us in welcoming Alison by commenting on our LinkedIn post!

The Berry Center is a nonprofit in New Castle, Kentucky that promotes sustainable agriculture that is both healthy for the land and the people who farm it, focusing on natural practices, advocacy, and education. It was founded in 2011 by Mary Berry, daughter of the late poet Wendell Berry, to serve as a repository for the study of small farm agriculture and to preserve and share the legacy of the written work of her family. Learn more about visiting the Berry Center and its bookstore at their website here.

The seed is in the ground.

Now may we rest in hope

While darkness does its work.

- Wendell Berry

Gayle Pille, an environmentalist, is trying to stop Sanitation District 1 (SD1) in Boone County from taking her land for a massive sewer project. Pille’s land contains a part of Woolper Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River; she purchased the land to protect the watershed and its wildlife. SD1 is under a federal mandate to improve waste water infrastructure in its service area, specifically outdated combined sewer systems, which can cause dangerous flooding.

Gayle Pille weeds a bed of wildflowers she planted. Photo taken in 1993. Photo: Joe Munson/Kentucky Post. Photo provided: Kenton County Public Library

Balancing the priorities of necessary infrastructure and greenspace preservation is difficult, and if this case goes to Kentucky’s Supreme Court, it could set a precedent for how government agencies employ eminent domain in the future.

This balance – between development and preservation – is a primary focus of our upcoming NKY County Commissioner Candidate Forum on September 23. Learn more about the event on our website, and submit your questions for the candidates here.

What will be one of the world’s largest data centers is under construction in Pike County, which is about 90 minutes due west of downtown Cincinnati. The $500bn project is being funded by OpenAi, Nvidia, and Japanese investors. In addition to the data center, a new natural gas plant is being built nearby for $33bn, paid for by Japanese money through a public-private partnership developed by the Trump Administration. The data center is scheduled to open in 2028.

A child holds a ‘No Data Center’ sign during a public meeting in Ashville, Ohio, on Aug. 19. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Clermont Park District recently added a new structure: a bee “hotel” for native bees that don’t live in hives – instead, they have solitary tunnels that serve as their shelter. “With habitat fragmentation and landscape development, [bees have] lost a lot of access to that habitat,” said Paige Zumaita, the park district’s program and volunteer coordinator. “So, by [giving] them a bee home, you're providing safe cavities for them to nest in that they would naturally seek out.”

A bee pollinates a yellow flower in front of a new structure designed to provide a home for the species. Photo: Lilley Halloran/WVXU

Volunteer Jack Moermond built the bee hotel. It has more than 500 holes to help mason bees and leaf-cutter bees. “If we don't support bees — especially native bees — we might have a hard time surviving,” Moermond told WVXU. “So, it's just some way, I think, to give back.” 

You can build a bee haven too! Check out the article here to learn more.

September 17 | 5:00-7:00 pm | West Side Brewing

Get your veggies, then meet our new Executive Director! Join Green Umbrella on the West Side for an evening of casual networking and community. Stop by the nearby Westwood Farmers Market to say hello to our Food Policy Council during the final stop of its Summer Farmers Market Tour, then walk over to West Side Brewing to meet Green Umbrella’s new Executive Director, Van Sullivan. Plus, West Side Brewing will donate 10% of sales during the event to support Green Umbrella’s work.

Free and open to the public. Please RSVP.

Have an event to share? Green Umbrella members can submit events here. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, click here.

Whether you’re a long-time supporter of the Common Orchard Project or brand new to our work, this is a great opportunity to connect with others in the community while helping care for and grow one of our shared orchard spaces.

We host volunteer days on the third Saturday of each month to support ongoing orchard and site development. Volunteers may help with seasonal tasks such as composting, planting, nursery work, and general site care. No prior experience is needed; everyone is welcome.

This is a hands-on, community-focused workday where you can learn more about the orchard and how the site is cared for while contributing to the long-term health of the site. Learn more and register here.

Have you ever dreamed about working in the woods? If so, today is your lucky day! Cincinnati Nature Center is looking to add to the Development Team with a new Major Gift Officer. They are looking to bring on a team member who loves nature, enjoys being outside, and wants to further the mission by Inspiring Conservation. The Major Gift Officer will deploy a strategic, full-lifecycle fundraising approach, from identification and qualification through cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, including legacy and planned-giving engagement. Learn more about the role and apply. Learn more about the role and apply here!

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.