Sample Nature’s Call  with some of the best activities offered by local outdoor organizations! Great Outdoor Weekend www.CincyGreatOutdoorWeekend.org Email: gow@easybeingreen.com Phone: 513.965.4898

Date: 9/16/2004
Contact: Rhonda Barnes-Kloth at Cincinnati Nature Center (513) 965-4895
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: GREAT OUTDOOR WEEKEND

Great Outdoor Weekend: Sample Nature’s Call
Saturday and Sunday, September 25 & 26
Presented by The Community Press and Serendipity Design
www.CincyGreatOutdoorWeekend.org

Looking for a fun way to enjoy the outdoors with your family without breaking the bank? Look no further! The Great Outdoor Weekend is two days full of FREE activities to help Greater Cincinnatians sample the best nature programming offered by nearly 30 local outdoor organizations throughout the Tri-State.

John Cranley, Cincinnati City Councilman and Honorary Chair of the Great Outdoor Weekend, believes "This is a wonderful event for Greater Cincinnati. Our region has so many amazing outdoor opportunities and they are all showcased during this weekend."

What does GOW have to offer?  Almost 90 programs and special events at more than 50 locations throughout Greater Cincinnati!

Here’s just a sample of the great things happening this weekend: Go wild on a nature walk in the Oxbow, at the mouth of the Great Miami.  At Hamilton County’s Bicentennial Barn, learn how to be a good neighbor to the Great Miami River.  Enjoy a sensory experience, exploring the sights and sounds of fall at Imago Earth Center in Price Hill. Why not learn about papermaking at the Hamilton County Park District’s Sharon Woods? Join the animal behavior bonanza with educators from Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden at Mt. Airy Forest. Test the waters of the Little Miami River with Greenacres Foundation. How about an exciting tree climb at Cincinnati Nature Center’s Rowe Woods near Milford? Learn about pioneer life with Cincinnati Park Board at Avon Woods in Avondale or tour the Boone County Arboretum in Union. And join meteorologist Rich Apuzzo and SkyEye Weather as you explore the wild world of weather. The possibilities are endless!

"We hope that the Great Outdoor Weekend will open the eyes of Tri-Staters to the endless possibilities for outdoor recreation in Greater Cincinnati.  We also hope that they will return to many of the places they sample for future programs and adventures."  Lizzie Vollmar, communications assistant with Hamilton County Park District and GOW planning committee member.

"Greater Cincinnati has a wealth of natural areas for people to explore.  The rolling hills, the numerous waterways, the greenspace, the city parks and recreation areas ... all these things are special to this region.  I hope the Great Outdoor Weekend will encourage families to explore the landscape and venture into parts of town that may be unfamiliar so that they can more fully appreciate the natural wonders of our region," said Kevin Pease, Director of Serendipity Graphic Design, Event Presenting Sponsor. 

The mission of the Great Outdoor Weekend is to encourage respect of natural places through public education and to increase visitation and visibility for participating organizations. Program locations and times are diverse to encourage guests to visit several locations and truly sample the best of local outdoor venues. The Great Outdoor Weekend is presented by The Community Press and Serendipity Design.

Cincinnati Earth Institute

Cincinnati Nature Center

Cincinnati Park Board

Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati

Clermont County Park District

Crystal Clear Science

Dry Dredgers

Earth Connection

Greenacres Foundation

Hamilton County Environmental Services – Air Quality Management

Hamilton County Park District

Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District

Hillside Trust

Imago Earth Center

Izaak Walton League – Cincinnati Chapter

The Land Conservancy of Hamilton County

Mac’s Farm and Sculpture Center

Mill Creek Restoration Project

Northside Greenspace, Inc.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ohio River Grass

Ohio – Kentucky – Indiana Catchers

Orienteering Cincinnati

Oxbow, Inc.

Raptor, Inc.

Skyeye Weather, LLC

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Wild Ones of Greater Cincinnati