Treeforestation

Our Treeforestation program was our first venture into the conservation world. Launched in 2018, we began working to restore a 10-acre urban forest that had been completely overrun by invasive species. Located next to Walnut Hills High School, this project was a perfect fit because it allowed us to integrate education for students and volunteers into each step of the process. The project was a partnership between students and staff at Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati Parks, and the Evanston Community Council.  

Since 2018, thousands of volunteer hours have been invested into the site to remove invasive plants, establish and maintain a trail system, establish prairie habitat and plant several thousand tree saplings grown by Walnut Hills High School students. As a result of this work, the space was designated an official Cincinnati park in 2022 by the Park Board and is now known as Walnut Woods of Evanston.

Our Treeforestation program included similar projects at St. Xavier High School and Withrow High School. No matter the location, our primary goal was to involve students and volunteers in the restoration process so they could develop connections to the spaces and be inspired to get more involved. We did this by carving out time to educate students and volunteers about the threats posed by invasive species, what the restoration process looked like from start to finish, and the benefits offered by the native habitat we were working to establish.

The Next Iteration

Our Treeforestation program has inspired larger conservation efforts that reach across the Greater Cincinnati region, including the Cincinnati Conservation Stewards program and our Greenspace Guardians training. Our focus has shifted from leading individual restoration projects to providing education and training to those interested in joining and leading local conservation efforts. 

While this shift has allowed us to maximize our impact and reach, you’ll still find us out in the field doing the hands-on work. Local authorities often serve as the main managers of urban green spaces, but a lack of funding for green space management has spurred an interest in the ways that nonprofits—like the CGC—and citizens can contribute. We’ve begun working with the Hamilton County Land Reutilization Corporation (“Landbank”) to restore several of its vacant properties in neighborhoods with extremely poor air quality, high rates of asthma and heart disease and low life expectancies, as well as abundant vacant land from decades of disinvestment and demolition.

Even as the specifics evolve, our Treeforestation program remains committed to active citizenship and seeks to empower citizens to achieve a wide range of environmental and social benefits for themselves and their neighborhoods.

Get Involved

If you want to hear about conservation-focused volunteer opportunities, a great place to start is by registering as a CGC volunteer and signing up for our Conservation Team.

If you’re interested in getting more involved but aren’t sure the best place to get started, please reach out to our Conservation Program Manager, Sam Settlemyre: ssettlemyre@civicgardencenter.org.