Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society

Ohio Native Plant Society, Southwest Ohio Chapter
Updated Tuesday November 10, 2026 at 4pm

Our hikes and lectures are free and open to the public, and all are welcome. (but we depend on our memberships to cover our expenses.) ."You don’t have to be a plant expert to enjoy these trips and lectures. The locations are amazing and the atmosphere is casual. I’ve enjoyed every event that I’ve attended for many years!"- BB.

What you missed- On Friday October 30, 2026 Madeline, Chris, and Tony of the Cardinal Land Conservancy led our group of 15 on a hike at Hilltop Farm Nature Preserve. A fine sunny fall day. We saw many oak species, red mulberry, and Shagbark Hickory on the upper loop. If you wish to visit this public preserve, Google maps knows the parking lot trailhead “Hilltop Farm Nature Preserve”. It is in Indiana only 35 minutes from Cincy, just north and west of Harrison, Ohio. You may find more info with trail map at here
Photos (BB)- Group Photo , On the Trail , Chris, Madeline and Tony of Cardinal Land Conservancy

What you missed- On Friday October 9, 2026 NEW Video of Ed Soldo's "Wildflowers in the Woods of Home" is available at Here
(0-1m skip this, 1-11m intro by Mike Jagoditz, 11-58m Ed Soldo)

The Correct Event time for our Sat Nov 21 and Sat Dec 5 Honeysuckle events at Avon Woods is 10am. This had been listed incorrectly on our website and Newsletter!!

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Friday, November 13, 2026, at 7:30 pm: Lecture Program, Avon Woods Nature Center (and by Zoom)

“A Visit from John Uri Lloyd (1849-1936)” by John Uri Lloyd

John Uri Lloyd: renowned scientist and pharmacist; co-founder of famous drug manufacturer Lloyd Brothers, Pharmacists; Professor to the Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati. Experience a captivating living history performance by John Uri Lloyd himself, stepping out of the 19th-century lab to share his extraordinary life's work. From his pioneering breakthroughs in plant medicine and the founding of Cincinnati’s world-renowned Lloyd Library to his 1895 subterranean sci-fi novel Etidorhpa, discover how one of Ohio’s greatest polymaths bridged the gap between rigorous science and pure wonder. Professor Lloyd will have a display of pertinent photographs and memorabilia of the Lloyd Brothers and their company.

Directions- Avon Woods Nature Preserve (a Cincinnati City Park) is at 4235 Paddock Road, Cincinnati 45229. The Nature Center Lodge is located at the end of the long driveway. One route is to get on Norwood Lateral and take the Paddock Road exit (south). Drive south on Paddock for 0.9 miles and turn right at the Avon Woods sign and drive 0.4 miles up the driveway to the Nature Center.

Google maps knows the address 4235 Paddock Road and directs you up the long driveway to the Nature Center Building

Zoom Directions-
The Zoom link will be sent in the email reminder on Tues November 10, or contact Bob at Bergstein123@gmail.com or call 513-477-4438 (call if problems logging in to zoom)

Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 10:00 am: Give Back Day, Avon Woods Nature Preserve

10am is the correct time for this event!
This preserve is only 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. Your assistance on this project directly benefits our Society, since we now have a written agreement allowing our use of Avon Wood Nature Center for five meetings per year in exchange for our volunteer hours working in Avon Woods (and other Cincinnati Parks).

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Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 10:00 am: Give Back Day, Avon Woods Nature Preserve

10am is the correct time for this event!
This preserve is only 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. Your assistance on this project directly benefits our Society, since we now have a written agreement allowing our use of Avon Wood Nature Center for five meetings per year in exchange for our volunteer hours working in Avon Woods (and other Cincinnati Parks).

Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 3:00 pm: Annual Hardy Souls’ Hike, William Harbin Park, Butler County, Ohio (followed by the holiday potluck and program)

Join us for a winter hike at Harbin Park, a Fairfield City Park. We will traverse the 1.8-mile moderately easy Green Trail that takes you on 196 ft of elevation gain. We will meet at William Harbin Parking, 1365 Hunter Rd, Fairfield, OH 45014

After the hike you may proceed to the Gathering at Northern Hills, at 460 Fleming Road for our potluck dinner.

Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 5:00 pm: Potluck Dinner, The Gathering at Northern Hills

Join your fellow Society members & guests for our very popular potluck dinner, followed by our evening program. Please bring a dish to share- appetizer, main, side or desert. Coffee and tea will be provided.
5:15 – Appetizers, wine & fellowship
5:45 – Potluck dinner

Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 7:00 pm: Lecture Program, The Gathering at Northern Hills

“The Unintended Legacy of Ohio’s 18th Century Land Surveyors: Ohio’s Frontier Vegetation and Today’s Remnants of the Past” by Rick Gardner

Join Rick Gardner, Chief Botanist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), for an update on ODNR's ongoing project to develop a digital map of the natural vegetation documented in the original land surveys of the Northwest Territory from about 1785-1835, plus a deeper dive on remaining places to see this vegetation in southwest Ohio.

Rick Gardner serves as Chief Botanist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, where he leads the Ohio Natural Heritage Section in tracking rare plant species and unique plant communities across the state. In this role, Rick oversees vegetation surveys, assists with land protection projects, and provides scientific expertise for habitat restoration and conservation planning. He has spent most of his career with DNAP and previously worked for the Division of Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. Rick’s research focuses on Ohio’s flora, including invasive species, xeric limestone prairies, oak barrens, and rare sedges, and he has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles. He also serves as a visiting scholar at The Ohio State University Herbarium. Rick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from Miami University.

Info about our January-April 2027 Events will be available in January 2027