Get Involved: Volunteer with Ohio River Foundation

Earth Month may be coming to a close, but the work doesn’t stop there. There are many ways to get involved and make a positive impact on the environment – right here in the Tri-state.

Ohio River Foundation’s (ORF) habitat restoration programming (creating healthy and sustainable natural areas by removing harmful invasive plant species and protecting and encouraging the growth of native plants), is a key part of its work to create better habitats for native plant and animal species and improve the water quality in the Ohio River Watershed. Volunteers are always needed to help ORF maximize its impact.

ORF currently has habitat restoration projects taking place in Kingswood Park in Deerfield TownshipSummit Park in Blue Ash, and Alms Park.

“We need to work aggressively to manage the spread of invasive plants, so volunteers are vital to the success of our habitat restoration work. This is also a great opportunity for volunteers to get outside and see the immediate positive impact of their work. They learn that when we remove harmful invasives and replace them with native plants, the resulting increased biodiversity allows ecosystems to thrive and become more resilient to a changing climate,” said Ohio River Foundation habitat restoration manager Jessica Tegge.

Non-native invasive plants compete with and often crowd out native ones, leading to decreased biodiversity, poorer habitats for wildlife (including the pollinators that help our food supply), and lower water quality, among many other issues. Examples of invasive plants in the Ohio River Valley include Amur Honeysuckle, Callery Pear, Autumn Olive, Lesser Celandine, and Wintercreeper.

Current Volunteer Dates:

Kingswood ParkSummit Park

 

Alms Park

 

May 14 (9am-1pm)

May 22 (9am-1pm)

September 11 (9am-1pm)

October 2 (9am-1pm)

October 9 (1-4pm)

November 5 (1-4 pm)

June 25 (9am – 1pm)

July 24 (9am-1pm)

August 7 (9am-1pm)

November 12 (9am-1pm)

 

June 4 (9am – noon)

September 11 (9am – noon)

September 24 (9am – noon)

October 22 (9am – noon)

 

To sign up to volunteer or learn more about these projects, visit https://ohioriverfdn.org/events/calendar/. Check back often as additional volunteer dates could be added. For more restoration volunteer opportunities happening throughout the Tri-state, visit https://orvcisma.org/volunteer/.

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