A team of high school students focus on environmental sciences while participating in a regional competition-style academic event held at the Fernald Preserve.
The staff at the Fernald Preserve is available to address schools, scouts, senior groups, and other organized groups on a variety of topics relating to the site’s history, mission, groundwater remedy, ecological restoration, environmental sciences, wildlife, ecology, and green building features. Nature and history programs can be customized to meet your group’s specific objectives.
To schedule a program or for more information, please email us at Fernald@lm.doe.gov or call us at 513-648-3330.
To view the Meeting Space and Program Request Policy, Fernald Preserve, Ohio, Site click here.
The Fernald Preserve, Ohio, Site offers a variety of public programs, privately scheduled programs/speakers, and meeting spaces, in addition to regular visitors center hours, trails, and wildlife viewing areas. Meeting spaces and site-related nature, environmental science, and history programs are available year round.
May 2026
All About Monarchs
May 1-31, daily during visitors center hours
Come out and enjoy a self-guided walk on the Weapons to Wetlands Trail and learn all about the history of monarch butterfly conservation and their life cycle. This 0.25-mile paved loop is easy going and filled with educational information.Former Production Area History Hike
Fridays, May 8 and 22, 5-6 p.m.
Take a trip through time with this hike through the former production area with Fernald staff and learn where buildings once stood. This hike covers approximately 1.5 miles of unpaved and uneven trails, so sturdy footwear is a must.Cincinnati Astronomical Society: Back to the Moon
Friday, May 8, 8:30-11 p.m.
Come enjoy a presentation by Cincinnati Astronomical Society about current plans to get back to the moon. Afterwards, if the skies are clear, enjoy some time outside with CAS volunteers and their telescopes.Boardwalk Night Hike
Friday, May 29, 9-10:30 p.m.
Join us on a night hike to the boardwalk and back under the stars as we listen for owls and whatever other nighttime critters we might cross paths with. This hike will cover approximately 2 miles on unpaved but relatively even trails, so sturdy shoes are a must.MAPS Bird Banding
May-August
E-mail Fernald@lm.doe.gov to be placed on our notification list for dates.
Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship, or MAPS, is a long-running study of breeding birds and their dispersal pattern across the country. Join our permitted bird bander as we track our local bird population at Fernald. Because of the weather-dependent nature of this program, dates and times will be decided on a week-by-week basis. Join our notification list to get updates on when this program will be taking place.Monthly Bird Walk: Breeding Birds
Saturday, May 30, 8-11 a.m.
Come explore the preserve as we try and find some breeding birds. Henslow’s Sparrows, Prairie Warblers, and many more birds will be the target of this 2-3 mile walk. This hike will cover unpaved and sometimes uneven trails, so sturdy shoes are a must.The Community Meeting Room, Resource Room, and outdoor Program Shelter were designed to be used by the public when they are not in use by Fernald Preserve staff. These facilities are available free of charge for noncommercial use by organized groups.
Seating capacity for the Community Meeting Room is 120 for theater seating and 80 for conference seating.
Seating capacity at standard tables in the outdoor Program Shelter is 58.
The seating capacity in the Resource Room is 8 (at a conference table).
The application review process to reserve these facilities could take up to two weeks.
To make a room reservation or for more information, please email us at Fernald@lm.doe.gov or call us at 513-648-3330.
To view the Meeting Space and Program Request Policy, Fernald Preserve, Ohio, Site click here.