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!
Join PEWS for Green Drinks with Green Umbrella!
Thursday, October 15, 5-7pm. Alive & Well, 3410 Telford St, Cincinnati, OH.
Join Green Umbrella for Green Drinks on Thursday, October 15, from 5:00–7:00 PM at Alive & Well in Clifton. This month, we’re bringing together the Green Umbrella and University of Cincinnati communities for an evening of casual networking and conversation around the ways higher education, research, and the broader community can collaborate to advance sustainability and climate health across Greater Cincinnati.
In collaboration with UC’s Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS) and Center for Collaboration on Climate & Community for Health (C4H), we’ll explore opportunities for students, faculty, researchers, staff, community leaders, sustainability professionals, and others to connect and collaborate. Learn more about what these UC centers are doing in our community, discover ways to engage with Green Umbrella (including through initiatives like our Climate Research Incubator) and meet others interested in turning research, ideas, and expertise into meaningful regional action.
You don’t need to be a UC student or researcher to attend – everyone is welcome! Come grab a drink, meet new people, and explore how we can work together toward a more sustainable and resilient Greater Cincinnati.
Free and open to the public. Please RSVP.
Trained, Treasured, Tragic: The American Primates Behind the Space Race
Wednesday, October 14, 7-8:30pm. Cincinnati Observatory, 3489 Observatory Place, Cincinnati, OH.
Before Alan Shepard and John Glenn flew into space, the United States had other astronauts named Able, Baker, Ham, and Enos. They weren’t human. They were monkeys and chimpanzees the United States used to research space medicine and to make sure humans could safely leave the Earth’s atmosphere. Learn about the space monkeys and about how they are memorialized in books, films, and museums around the country!
Presenter Bio: John Lynch is a professor at the University of Cincinnati in the School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies. He is a 2026-2027 fellow at the Niehoff Center for Film and Media Studies, an affiliate of UC’s Center for the Public Engagement with Science, a consultant for the Smithsonian Science Center’s Biotechnology education guide, and a member of the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s inaugural Science Ambassador cohort. He’s an award-winning author and editor of four books and over 60 articles. His work focuses on the communication dynamics and ethical entailments of medical, scientific, and technical communication. His first book—What are Stem Cells? Definition at the Intersection of Science and Politics—won the 2016 National Communication Association’s Health Communication Distinguished Book Award. His second book—Origins of Bioethics: Remembering When Medicine Went Wrong—received the Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology 2020 Book of the Year Award.
Tickets:
Non-members $20/class
Members $15/class
Student (with valid ID) $10/class
Image credit: University of Alabama Press
Forest Calls: A Week of Live Events
October 8-13, various events across Cincinnati.
Forest Calls is a week of public events, bridging Hawaiʻi and Cincinnati through an inspiring convergence of artistic expression, ecological conservation, and Indigenous wisdom.
From October 8–13, join us across the city for an engaging series of community presentations, guided field walks, the multidisciplinary live performance of “The Story of the ʻAkikiki“, and the interdisciplinary symposium, ‘Mauka to Makai / Hilltops to Rivers‘ – and much more! Registration to most events are free, but space is limited.
Full Schedule:
- Thursday, October 8 (11:00AM), ‘A Tribute To Native Bird Conservation, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens (3400 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH)
- Friday, October 9 (1:30PM), ‘Connect to Nature with Mill Creek Alliance’, Twin Creek Preserve (12033 Best Pl, Sharonville, OH)
- Saturday October 10 (8:30AM), ‘Burnet Woods Migratory Bird Walk’, Burnet Woods Bandstand (on Burnet Woods Dr, Burnet Woods, Cincinnati, OH)
- Sunday October 11 (1:30PM), ‘The Story of the ‘Akikiki Live Performance’, Patricia Corbett Theater (290 CCM Blvd, Cincinnati, OH)
- Sunday October 11 (7:00PM), ‘Blink Critical Walk’, Tristan Eaton’s Elm Street Plaza mural (100 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH)
- Monday October 12 (11:00AM), ‘Voices Across Generations’, Cincinnati Museum Center (1301 Western Avenue, Cincinnati, OH)
- Monday October 12 (4:00PM), ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day Feast’, Jacob Hoffner Park (corner of Blue Rock St and Hamilton St, Cincinnati, OH)
- Tuesday October 13 (4:00PM), ‘Mauka to Makai / Hilltops to Rivers Interdisciplinary Symposium’, Tangeman University Center Cinema (2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH)
Nothing Compares: The Value and Process of Comparison in Qualitative Research, an interdisciplinary panel discussion
Erynn Masi de Casanova in conversation with William GarcÃa-Medina, Oneya Okuwobi, and PEWS Director, Angela Potochnik
Friday, October 9, 3-5pm. Valentine Overlook Room, 5280 Clifton Court Hall, University of Cincinnati.
Across disciplines, researchers use comparison to analyze and understand. But why and how do we compare, and how do we decide what to compare? This event brings together scholars to discuss comparative research design, case selection, and methodology, and how these practices shape the claims that we make.
This event is free and open to UC students, staff, faculty, and the general public. Please register here.
Red Wolf Sanctuary – October Events
HOWLoween Fundraising Gala, Friday, October 2, 6-9pm. The Redmoor, 3187 Linwood Ave, Cincinnati OH
Join us for an entertaining evening supporting and celebrating Red Wolf Santuary’s commitment to wildlife rehabilitation and education. Enjoy dinner and drinks, entertainment, and both a silent and live auction.
Valet Parking is included with the ticket.
Red Wolf Rampage, Saturday, October 24, 9am (Packet Pick Up starts at 8am). The Red Wolf Sanctuary, 3027 S.R. 262, Rising Sun, IN.
The Red Wolf Sanctuary is once again hosting its 5K and 10K Trail Walk/Run across their beautiful, 452-acre facility in Rising Sun, Indiana. The event will be timed, but recreational runners and walkers are welcome.
All proceeds from the event will be used to support the sanctuary and its endeavors to preserve native North American wildlife through environmental education and the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife.
The 5K is a beautiful course. The first couple of miles take you along the waterways, through wetlands and fields, and the final mile takes you down the trail past the large wildlife enclosures. If runners choose to take on the challenge and continue with the 10K they will at one point run up and over 240 feet in elevation in just under a mile. The 10K is not for the faint of heart.
Monthly Volunteer Day with Common Orchard Project
Saturday, October 17, 9am to 12pm. Camp Washington Perennial Farm, 3220 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, OH.
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.
We really hope to see you there! The farm has grown so much over the years thanks to volunteers like you. We are so excited to see this next phase of growth with added berries, flowers, the orchard coming into maturity, and the expansion of the compost program.
Science Harvest
Wednesday, October 21, 4:00-7:00pm. Northside Farmer’s Market, Hoffner Park, 4109 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati.
Science Harvest is a local science outreach initiative of the Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS). This program strives to share science with local communities through two-way conversations about science and hands-on science activities. Scientists bring bring hands-on activities and demonstrations to share with people of all ages to the Northside Farmer’s Market in Cincinnati monthly.
Fall 2026 Orchard Installation In Hillsboro
Monday, October 5, 2-4:30pm. Hillsboro Highschool, 550 US-62 Hillsboro, OH.
Join the Common Orchard Project in creating a new public orchard!
Orchards can be less work to produce food over time compared to vegetable gardens, but installation is quite labor-intensive. To get these new public orchards off to a good start, we are organizing these volunteer days to make the work lighter for all! Come learn how to plant trees, care for fruit trees, and meet neighbors who care as much as you do.
We will be planting 20-24 trees and laying down black plastic to remove the grass. If you are looking for a snapshot into what this might look like, check out this video we created with a funding partner back in 2022. All tools and gloves provided, just bring a water bottle and wear appropriate outdoor clothing to dig holes and plant trees.
Additional Information: If you are able to join and sign up, please do follow through! It changes our plans and makes these days difficult if people change their minds at the last minute. We will give a reminder and notice of any extreme weather related changes of plans 2 days before the event.
We will have locally grown fruit and other snacks.
Meet A Greenspace Hike: Mt. Airy Forest
Tuesday, October 13, 5:30-7pm. Braunstein Hall, Room 201, 2825 Campus Way, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Join Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance and the Cincinnati Parks at Mt. Airy Forest for a Meet A Greenspace Hike on Tuesday, October 13th, from 5:30-7:00 pm! We will meet at Blue Spruce Road, Cincinnati, OH, at the Blue Spruce Trail, which can be accessed from Colerain Avenue or Shepherd Creek Road.
Located between Mt. Airy and Westwood, Mt. Airy Forest is the largest park in Cincinnati, spanning 1,459 acres. Established in 1911, the forest is one of the earliest (possibly the earliest) urban reforestation projects in the country. This hike will be an opportunity to explore the forest with Cincinnati Parks staff and hear about the work they are doing!
The hike will be a moderate 1 mile over natural surface paths on the Blue Spruce Trail. Please dress appropriately, bring water, and snacks (if you need them). Parking is available at the trailhead, with additional parking on the opposite side of the road across from the picnic shelter at Area 2 (see link above).
The Greenspace Alliance would like to thank its sponsors, Ford and Duke Energy, for helping to make this event possible!
Dry Dredgers Program: Celebrating the Burgess Shale and the Search for Seaweed Fossils
Friday, October 23, 8-9:30pm. Braunstein Hall, room 201, 2825 Campus Way, Cincinnati, OH.
High in the Canadian Rockies, the Burgess Shale contains exceptionally preserved fossils from an ancient Cambrian sea: trilobites, other arthropods, sponges, lobopods, jellyfish, worms, and mysterious creatures of uncertain affinities. The rare preservation of soft tissues at this locality provides a unique snapshot of life 505 million years ago, informing our understanding of the early evolution of animal life and earning recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Join the Dry Dredgers for a presentation by visiting paleontologist Dr. Katie Maloney (Michigan State University) featuring the remarkable fauna AND flora of the Burgess Shale. Dr. Maloney will highlight exciting discoveries made by the Royal Ontario Museum at this famous fossil deposit, as well as her own research focused on early fossil algae. Visitors welcome!
Civid Garden Center Events in October
Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH.
- Thursday, October 1, 11am-12pm – CGC Compost Tour (free)
- Fridays, 9am-12pm – Hands On at Hauck volunteer workdays
- Wednesday, October 7, 10am-12pm – Volunteer judging session for our high school Green Teens Challenge entries
- Saturday, October 10, 9am-12pm – Dewey Ave Pocket Park cleanup workday
- Mondays, October 12 and 26, 10-11:30am – Nature-based drop-in Lil’
Sprouts sessions for kids ages 3-8 and their caregivers (free) - Thursday, October 15, 10-11am – Green Learning Station Tour (free)
- Thursday, October 15, 11am-12pm – Hauck Arboretum Tour (free)
- Saturday, October 17, 10am-12pm – Making Ropes & Fire (class)
- Saturdays, October 17 and October 24, 9am-12pm – CUF Restoration Site volunteer workdays (we’ll be breaking ground on a Green Buffer of native shrubs and perennials)
Exoplanets and How to Find Them
Saturday, October 17, 7pm. Ziegler Auditorium, Thomas More University, 333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, KY.
A public lecture on astronomy followed by observations at the Thomas More Observatory (weather permitting).
Title: Exoplanets and How to Find Them
Speaker: Austin Hinkel, Ph.D.
Description: Modern Astronomy techniques have uncovered thousands of exoplanets orbiting other stars, revealing worlds with no analog in our own Solar System. This talk explores the diversity of these worlds, how we detect them, and what they might mean for life beyond Earth.
21st-Century Naturalist Skills: – Learn about the natural world and take time to notice and wonder about our natural systems in Ohio – Make a positive change for the health of people and the planet – Help people connect with nature right outside their door – Explore a variety of approaches to build scientific knowledge, and – Grow the naturalist community.
