A $12 million renovation project at one of Ohio's largest native seed nurseries is nearing completion.
Great Parks is expanding Shaker Trace Nursery in Harrison, where it grows native seeds for habitat restoration projects. It’s building a bigger greenhouse, seed-processing facility, and climate-controlled seed storage to expand conservation efforts in Hamilton County.
Ben Helmes is the site project delivery manager. He says the old facilities at the nursery could support production of about 300 pounds of seed per year.
“This project will really increase that capacity for us to produce lots more seed [and] get that seed back out into the environment where it forms the basis of our local ecology,” Helmes said. “The plants feed the insects and the birds and all of the natural creatures.”
Great Parks also renovated a historic barn on-site. It's now a space for education and events.
“This will be a really great place to welcome school groups, like we do in a lot of our other sites around the county, so that students can come and learn about what we're doing here, about the native plants and things of that nature,” said Janet Murray, chief of planning.
The barn renovations include space for other visitors, too: a colony of big brown bats who have returned to raise their young year after year. Several openings on the barn's side provide places for them to roost.
Construction is expected to be complete by December. The project is partially funded by a levy passed by Hamilton County voters in 2021.
Read more: