Environment

Record rainfall in Cincinnati is causing a local co-operative farm to re-adjust its harvest plan.

Uranium processing ended at the Fernald site 30 years ago and now the more than 1,000 acres are known as the Fernald Preserve. Its transition from uranium processing facility during the Cold War to vast nature preserve involved lawsuits, contamination, community advocacy, new government regulations, and an enormous and comprehensive clean-up.

Journalist Jenny Wohlfarth documented what she called "an ecological oasis in our city's backyard, with a very dark past."

Five years after an oil spill devastated Oak Glen Nature Preserve in Colerain Township, Great Parks of Hamilton County is now allowing limited public access. WVXU's Tana Weingartner has followed this story since the spill was discovered. She recently went back to find out what the public will learn during an off-trail hike this Saturday.

Many home gardeners have discovered that with the right crops and planting methods they can grow a lot of produce in a small amount of space. Which is extremely helpful for homeowners with small yards. And especially good news for those who live in urban areas or apartments, where container gardening is a necessity.

The next speaker in the 2019 Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Barrows Conservation Lecture Series is the Executive Director of the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya, Dino Martins, Ph.D.

Now that we are into the growing season the first thing most of us notice is just how well the weeds are doing in our yards and gardens. While some of us tackle the job of clearing dandelions, nut grass and clover by hand, others rely on chemicals to eliminate weeds. And many of them will go about it the wrong way, applying too much, too little or too often.

As the City of Cincinnati figures out how to proceed on a proposed new Police Department District 5 headquarters, can it learn from its previous work in building a new District 3? Former City Councilwoman and filmmaker Laure Quinlivan believes so.

The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970. Since the day that many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement, generations have grown up learning about how we affect the environment, and great strides have been made in reducing pollution and developing sustainability programs. But we are still faced with massive plastic waste in our oceans, rapidly diminishing animal habitat worldwide, continued air and water industrial pollution and multiple species in danger of extinction.

The next speaker in the 2019 Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Barrows Conservation Lecture Series is Anne Savage, Ph.D., founder of Proyecto Tití, a program designed to conserve Colombia’s most endangered primate, the cotton-top tamarin.

Without pollinators, our food supply would collapse. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce.

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is considering a new plan on water quality for the Ohio River. A previous plan, issued last year, would have reduced ORSANCO's oversight and allowed states to regulate discharges into the river.

It's officially spring, flowers are in bloom, lawns are just starting to turn a deeper shade of green and the weeds are beginning their mission to take over our yards. But there is still a chance we could experience hard frosts before the warm weather finally settles in.

With 21 parks and preserves covering 17,666 acres, Great Parks of Hamilton County is the largest land holder in the county. Established in 1930, the park system completed its first-ever Comprehensive Master Plan this January. The plan will guide parks, facilities, programming and services over the next 10 years, through 2028.

Updated March 6, 2:07 p.m.

As spring approaches, Great Parks of Hamilton County is hoping for a little help in stopping the spread of a perennial problem. Natural Resources Director Jessica Spencer is asking park visitors to keep an eye out for invasive species.

Whether you're an avid gardener or just want to keep your landscape looking good, there are dozens of simple things you can do that are not only kinder to the environment but will cut-down on the time and money you spend on your yard.

People are seeing more coyotes in neighborhoods throughout Greater Cincinnati lately, on both sides of the Ohio River. And that is causing many of them to worry about the safety of their children and pets.

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is considering a new plan on water quality for the Ohio River, which is not as drastic as the first. Initially, the group had proposed eliminating pollution control standards and instead rely entirely on states to regulate discharges into the river.

In late 2015, Cincinnati Parks starred in the documentary Trees in Trouble. The film describes the threat posed to forests by insects and highlights the Parks' efforts to respond to the Emerald Ash Borer crisis. It also explores the history of urban forestry in the U.S. and Cincinnati’s unique leadership dating back to its hosting of the United States' first Urban Forestry Congress in 1882.