A NEW FIELD STATION
FOR LONG BRANCH
By Laura Schmid, Associate Director of Development
This fall, Cincinnati Nature Center will break ground on
a brand-new field station at Long Branch Farm & Trails.
This will be the Nature Center’s
first new building since the Rowe
Visitor Center was built in 1971.
Executive Director Jeff Corney
says, “It’s been a long time
coming. In the past 15 years, our
program participants have more
than doubled, we’ve debuted
several large community events, our
membership has tripled, and we’ve
wholly expanded our conservation
and research work. We’ve
repurposed and restored several
buildings over the years, but
now it’s time to meet our critical
mission needs and take a fresh
approach at Long Branch.”
Among the most recent
enterprises is the native plant
propagation facility at Long
Branch Farm, located on the 212-
acre area that once served as an
educational farm. Since 2017, a
resolute crew has been building
hoop houses, nurturing thousands
of seedlings, and learning how to
retail native plants in a way that
promotes the Nature Center’s
mission and subsidizes the work.
Reimagining the space has
required ingenuity and stick-to-
itiveness. Farm operations were
shuttered in 2005, leaving little
infrastructure that was suitable
or even safe to utilize. The plant
propagation team has made do
with minimal water supply and
without on-site ofces, electricity,
and even restrooms. Our brave
staf have adapted to the rustic
amenities. They work on mobile
devices in all seasons and all-
weather conditions. They’ve
implemented an experimental
solar-generated pump to extract
water from a nearby pond. And
they have one port-o-potty.
Despite these hurdles, the
installation has been an
overwhelming success. Native
plant production has increased
four-fold, restoration projects have
expanded, and field research—in
partnership with the University of
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
University—is well underway.
Still, the facilities are not suitable
for either continued expansion
or public access. The new 4,000
square-foot field station will serve
as a hub for these conservation
activities. The new building and
enhanced propagation facilities
will include:
•
Ofce space and restrooms
•
Lab workstations
•
Native plant seed storage
•
Program meeting space
•
Native seed processing barn
•
Equipment space
•
Additional plant cultivation
hoop houses
Additionally, infrastructure
upgrades will allow visitor access
and increased capacity, including
expanded water supply for
irrigation, sewer hook-up, roads,
and parking lots.
The estimated cost
of the Field Station
is $3.6 million.
Fortunately, we’ve
had several generous
and visionary donors
invest in the fully
funded project.
“Considering what we’ve been
able to do out there with so
little to work with, I’m excited to
think about everything we can
accomplish with a dedicated
building. I want to create a space
where everyone—professionals
and homeowners alike—can learn
to restore, conserve, and protect
our natural areas,” says Director
of Conservation Cory Christopher.
“There’s so much happening at
our Long Branch nursery. Not just
plant propagation, but research
and land management. We need to
be where the action is.”
10 Newsleaf | Fall/Winter 2024