Great Parks of Hamilton County

Updated Aug. 5, 2020

Less than three weeks after approving a levy request for the November ballot, Great Parks of Hamilton County commissioners have repealed that decision. A special meeting was held Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 3 p.m.

On the heels of completing a new master plan, and with work still going on at the individual park planning level, the Board of Park Commissioners for Great Parks of Hamilton County is approving a levy request for the November ballot.

For the 14th year, National Pollinator Week will work to bring awareness to the need for communities and individuals to introduce more pollinator-friendly plants to their yards and parks. Joining Jim Stump with more details on the week ahead is Lisa Salehpour from Great Parks of Hamilton County.

Learn more about the wildflowers in the Great Parks of Hamilton County in this commentary from the parks’ Kimberly Whitton.

Great Parks of Hamilton County is in the middle of a multi-year assessment of local watersheds in need of preservation or rehabilitation. Naturalists are inspecting more than 1,000 primary headwater streams throughout the Great Parks system.

Cincinnati Edition speaks with Kimberly Whitton, the public engagement coordinator with the Great Parks of Hamilton County, about reopening the county golf courses beginning this Friday.

As we all are spending more time at home, Kimberly Whitton from Great Parks of Hamilton County is offering tips on how to start a home composting program.

Biologists were called to the Veterans Affairs building in Lincoln, Nebr., last week to evict an unusual visitor. A 20-pound bobcat somehow found its way into the VA but was quickly caught in a cage and relocated back to the wild. While that's unlikely to happen in Greater Cincinnati, the namesake of Ohio University's mascot is back on the prowl in Southwest Ohio.

The Metropolitan Sewer District says a mass of tree roots, grease and "flushable" wipes caused a sewer line to overflow in Winton Woods. The agency is also investigating a second sewage spill elsewhere in the park.

This story was updated to reflect comments from the Metropolitan Sewer District and Ohio EPA.

Winton Lake at Winton Woods is closed to fishing and boating as Great Parks of Hamilton County and the Metropolitan Sewer District investigate a sewage overflow.

Ohio's largest public seed nursery is right here in Southwest Ohio, and it's hosting an open house this weekend.

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.

Great Parks of Hamilton County grew by 158 acres last year, bringing its total acreage to 17,666. The park district says that makes it the county's largest land holder.

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.

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.

When coyotes start howling, their cacophonous calls may sound alarming to some people. However, the sporadic-sounding yelps are generally just canine chitchat.

A group of campers and artists want to make neighbors with the wildlife in one of Cincinnati's oldest parks. Two proposals would change part of the 90-acres inside Clifton's Burnet Woods.

Great Parks of Hamilton County is in the middle of an 18-month process to draft its first-ever comprehensive master plan, and it wants to hear your ideas and feedback.

Hitting the trail for a long trek, then relaxing by the fire is a great way to build confidence and bond with other hikers. Now Great Parks of Hamilton County is offering an outdoor training series to bring women closer together. 

It's been four years since an oil pipeline in Colerain Township ruptured, spewing thousands of gallons of crude down a hillside creek at Oak Glen Nature Preserve. In 2016, the focus shifted from cleaning the site, to restoration. That process is nearing completion.

It's going to be a busy summer at all the Great Parks of Hamilton County. 

In March, 2014, Hamilton County Park rangers at the Oak Glen Nature Preserve discovered an underground pipeline running through the preserve had ruptured, releasing approximately 20,000 gallons of crude oil. Cleanup began almost immediately and most of the oil was recovered, but the preserve's habitat was severely damaged and restoration efforts are still underway.