The UC Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS) is back with its monthly feature, Cincinnati Science Roundup. Check out events and news related to science happening in September from PEWS, our collaborators, and community partners around Greater Cincinnati!
Science on Tap: The Magical World of Moths and Other Nocturnal Insects
Wednesday, September 3rd, 6:30pm. Radio Artifact Studio, 1660 Blue Rock Street, Cincinnati.
Discover the magical world of moths and other nocturnal insects. Ohio is home to over 3,000 different species of moths, rarely seen by most humans, but vital to our local environment. We will learn about local moths and their behaviors, then hunt for species on a specially lit screen!
About Our Speaker: Sarah Kent is an award-winning naturalist, published entomologist, and currently serves as the executive director for GroundworkORV. She is dedicated to advancing food sovereignty, fostering life skill development, and ensuring safe access to green spaces for the Black community. In her spare time she enjoys creating art (@keepitwildcreations), baking, gardening, foraging, and exploring Cincinnati!
Fall Native Plant Festival
Saturday, September 6th, 9:00am-3:00pm. Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati.
Are you a native plant novice? Expert? Somewhere in between? Join us for the Civic Garden Center’s annual Fall Native Plant Festival! Whether you don’t know what a native plant is or have been growing them for years, this free, multi-vendor celebration of all things native plants is for you. You’ll be able to buy plants and get expertise from some of our region’s best known growers. The festival also includes free mini educational sessions, local organizations, live music, food and drinks, family-friendly activities and more. Want to stay in the loop? Make sure you’re signed up for our bi-monthly eNews, The Civic Gardener, and we’ll share updates as we have them! Learn more here.
Farm Encounters Walk
Saturday, September 6th, 12:00-1:30pm. Gorman Heritage Farm, 10052 Reading Rd Evendale, OH 45241.
Explore the gardens, meet the animals, grind corn to feed to chickens, and walk through our historic barns in this guided farm walk! This program is the perfect introduction to all that happens at Gorman Heritage Farm for first time farm visitors, families, and individuals looking to get closer to the animals and gardens. Register here!
Clean Energy Funding Webinar
Thursday, September 11th, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm. Online webinar.
Recent federal, state, and private action has resulted in a host of new funding sources for public, private, and non-profit actors seeking to implement a wide range of clean energy projects on their properties. The range of incentives includes tax credits, direct payments, competitive grants, and low-interest loans. Navigating this new funding opportunities can present a significant challenge for experts and non-experts alike.
Join the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District and Nikki Vandivort, an energy policy expert with the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability. Nikki has collated all of the new opportunities and will be presenting a comprehensive overview of the current clean energy funding landscape, including eligibility criteria. If you own or manage a commercial, public, or multi-family property, and you have been thinking about a clean energy upgrade, please join us to learn more about the types of available incentives for which you may qualify.
This interactive session will provide valuable insights for urban planners, sustainability directors, building owners, and energy professionals working to advance clean energy adoption. Note: the webinar will also provide as up to date as possible information on how federal events are impacting the funding landscape for Greater Cincinnati. Registration is required. Please reach out to Wyatt King with any questions at wyatt@greenumbrella.org.
Ohio STEM Learning Network Design Challenge Regional Kick-Off: Southwest Hub
Friday, September 12th, 8:00am-12:00pm. 1819 Innovation Hub, 2900 Reading Road, Cincinnati.
Join the Southwest Hub for our first OSLN Design Challenge Kickoff Event, designed to inspire and prepare educators to launch this year’s statewide challenge with confidence and creativity. Whether you’re a returning participant or new to the OSLN Design Challenge, this event will equip you with everything you need to empower your students as problem-solvers and innovators. Learn more about the #STEMmovesOhio Design Challenge at: https://osln.org/how-we-help/classroom-opportunities/statewide-design-challenge/
Meet a Greenspace Hike at Landen-Deerfield Park
Friday, September 19th, 3:00-4:30pm. Landen-Deerfield Park, 2258 US-22 in Maineville, OH, 45039.
Join Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance and the Warren County Park District at their Landen-Deerfield Park in Maineville, OH! The park is a community hub in the heart of the Landen-Maineville area. It features 95 acres of land with both active sports and nature-based recreation options. The Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA) will also be present to discuss the network of multi-use mountain bike and hiking trails they help to maintain.
We will meet at the Trailhead Shelter at the back of the park by the big arch. Please dress accordingly, wear proper shoes for hiking, and bring plenty of water! If you have any questions, contact Greenspace Alliance Manager, Claire Carlson, at claire@greenumbrella.org. The Greenspace Alliance would also like to thank their sponsors, Duke Energy and the Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society, for making these events possible. Learn more and register for this free hike here!
Mindful Birdwatching
Saturday, September 20th, 9:00-11:00am. Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati.
The CHPL Bird Nerds and the Civic Garden Center invite you to come discover why birdwatching is the ideal activity to combine with the practice of mindfulness! What is Mindful Birdwatching? It’s birdwatching quietly, intentionally, and calmly while engaging with the natural world around you! Traditional bird watching is often associated with bird checklists, field guides, and carrying binoculars or cameras, which can all be fun, but we’re inviting you to come to enjoy a more meditative approach. Sign up for this free event here!
Little Sprouts
Mondays, September 8th and 22nd, 10:00-11:30am. The auditorium at the Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati.
Join the Civic Garden Center to connect with the outdoors and further your knowledge of plants. These drop in sessions are meant for children aged 3 to 8 and their caregivers. These sessions are free to attend and no registration is required. Learn more about the sessions here!
Garden to Plate Classes at the Civic Garden Center (CGC)
Join CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator Kymisha Montgomery for series of garden-to-plate events around Cincinnati! Participants will harvest from the garden and discuss different vegetables and herbs, including their health benefits. A cooking demonstration will be provided. Open to the public and FREE with code HUB2025! However, please register so that we can notify you in case of weather-related schedule changes.
Thursday, September 11th, 6:00-8:00pm – Garden to Plate event at the Melrose Medicinal Garden
Thursday, September 18th, 6:00-8:00pm – Garden to Plate event at the Mt. Airy Community Garden
Saturday, September 20th, 10am-12pm – Garden to Plate event at the Concord Community Garden
Visit the Civic Garden Center website for even more classes, tours, and volunteer opportunities!
“Science and Cincinnati”: A PEWS Course Offered at OLLI
Register now!
Monday, September 29th – Monday, November 17th, 12:45-2:00 pm. UC Victory Parkway Campus (2220 Victory Pkwy, East Walnut Hills, 45206.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at University of Cincinnati offers opportunities for lifelong learning and social interaction for adults aged 50 and better.
This new course, offered by PEWS, covers a range of topics related to science and the community, including public health, science policy, AI, citizen science, ethics and science, space, and community science opportunities around Cincinnati. You will engage with various scientific questions and concepts in the context of your own city, discuss issues at the intersection between science and community, and hear from local experts about community organizations and opportunities related to science in Greater Cincinnati. The course will feature guest speakers from across UC and the community. Register to join us here!
Questions? Email engagingscience@uc.edu
Birding to Change the World: A Civic Conservation Event
Register now: preregistration required!
Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, 7:00-8:30pm. 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150.
Join Trish O’Kane, author of Birding to Change the World: A Memoir, and Connie O’Connor, Director of Applied Learning at Cincinnati Nature Center, as they discuss the importance of connecting with others to protect what we love. In this age of isolation, what if the most radical form of activism is to find common ground? How might this save our environment and, ultimately, ourselves? Join the Cincinnati Nature Center for a discussion about lessons in Civics, wrapped in feathers! Learn more and get your ticket here!
Tri-State STEM+ Conference
Register now!
Conference: October 23rd, 2025. Northern Kentucky University.
Join fellow P-12 educators from the tri-state and beyond to explore STEM, STEAM, and STREAM education instruction, technology, and cutting edge techniques. Discover how you can become the catalyst for change and develop future STEM talent! Learn more about the conference here.
News
2025 Climate Action Fellowship closes with Local Government Showcase
Green Umbrella’s 2025 Climate Action Fellowship ended with a public showcase on August 20. The Fellows and participating local governments presented their projects, progress, and next steps, as well as how other communities can move forward in resilience planning and sustainability. This year’s participating communities were Fairfield, Hamilton County, Milford, and Oxford in Ohio and Newport in Kentucky. Read more here!
Now accepting applications for 2025/2026 Climate Research Incubator Cohort
Green Umbrella’s Climate Research Incubator (CRI) invites researchers (and grad students!) to join our upcoming cohort. We’re looking for those whose area of expertise/research directly addresses climate change, who aim for measurable impact, and who are committed to partnering with communities to create tangible, local solutions. Participants will attend training workshops on science communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and aligning research with community needs; attend the 2026 Annual CRI Symposium; and take part in spring project workshops to collaboratively launch actionable, community-driven projects. Applications are due September 5. Visit the link here for more information and how to apply. Questions? Contact Dr. Kristy Hopfensperger at hopfenspek1@nku.edu
Participate in a research study!
Participate in Research Study on “Flying Cars”
You are being invited to particpate in a research study on “flying cars.”
This research study is being conducted by Primary Investigator (PI) Melody N. Mayle (she/her) and Co-PI Dr. Manish Kumar (he/him). Mayle is a PhD candiate in the aerospace engineering department at the University of Cincinnati (UC) with a concentration in Dynamics, Controls \& Intelligent Systems. Kumar is her PhD advisor and a professor in the mechanical engineering department.
The purpose of this research study is to understand the perceptions of potential Urban Air Mobility (UAM) users (passengers) and non-users (bystanders) to determine where and how air taxis should be allowed to operate. Air taxis are “flying cars” that provide on-demand transportation services. In the near future, you will be able to request flights in air taxis using mobile apps, just as you can Über and Lyft car rides!
You are eligible to participate in this research study if you:
- live within the greater Cincinnati, OH metropolitan area (preferred); and
- are over the age of 18 years (required).
For this phase of the research study, you are being asked to complete a survey. We will present multiple hypothetical scenarios to measure your willingness to fly as a passenger in an air taxi and to measure your openness to air taxi operations near your home. If you want to be considered for participation in an interview during the next phase of the research study, you will have an opportunity to earn a gift card worth $100! To be considered, you must provide your full name and email address.
To access the survey, please visit https://ucincinnati.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6PXYQmyBuiqS7Ii.
This research study is conducted with the approval of UC IRB, ID 2025-0326.
Climate Action Research Study
Currently, young BIPOC are underrepresented in climate action social science and climate movement scientific research. This study seeks to inform the ways researchers, organizations, and peers support young BIPOC who choose to engage in the climate arena.
You are eligible to participate in the study if you:
- Identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) )(including multiracial and multiethnic BIPOC)
- Ages 18-25
- Residing in the United States
- English Speaker
- Engaged with any form of climate action
This study involves a 20 minute online survey and a 90-minute Zoom interview. All participants who complete both the survey and interview will receive a $40 Amazon gift card. Learn more here, or contact Stephanie Lam at lamse@mail.uc.edu with any questions.
