Cincinnati Nature Center broke ground on a new conservation and field research facility at Long Branch Farm and Trails in Goshen Wednesday.
The Center for Conservation’s Field Station is planned to be a 4,000-square foot space for community-based activities. It will include a native seed processing and storage barn, lab workstations, hoop houses for plant growing, and meeting space.
Director of Conservation Cory Christopher says the new building will support ongoing land management experiments at Long Branch. Researchers are currently looking into how to best restore a forest after removing invasive plants.
“We have relationships with universities to help study some of those areas, to see what is the best way to take an area that is degraded — it might be invaded — and then get it back to more of a natural, healthier condition,” Christopher said. "That research will be happening right here onsite."
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The Nature Center also plans to offer educational workshops at the Field Station, to teach people about taking care of their properties in environmentally conscious ways.
“I think by having that approach, and not trying to be just about research or just about public programming, but really trying to combine the two, I think we're going to make a community of people who are all focused on being better stewards of their land,” Christopher said.
This will be the first building the Nature Center has constructed since 1971.
“We’ve repurposed and restored several buildings over the years, but now it’s time to meet our critical mission needs and take a fresh approach at Long Branch,” said Cincinnati Nature Center Executive Director Jeff Corney in a news release.
The Nature Center intends for the Field Station to be net-zero, or balanced in its use and removal of climate-warming greenhouse gases. The building will be powered by rooftop solar panels.
It is expected to open in fall 2025.