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.
Month-at-a-Glance October 2025
Fernald History Self-Guided Tour
Oct. 1-31
Fernald’s landscape has gone through profound changes in the last century. Explore all public corners of the site to learn about the site’s history during the production years of the Feed Materials Production Center and subsequent clean-up.Cincinnati Astronomical Society: Spectroscopy
Friday, Oct. 10, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Join Cincinnati Astronomical Society for a presentation on how spectroscopy is valuable to modern astronomy. Afterwards, if the skies are clear, join Cincinnati Astronomical Society volunteers outside for some time with their telescopes.Bird Banding Demonstration
Sunday, Oct. 12, 7-11 a.m.
Drop in anytime during program hours at the bird blind on Hickory Trail as we attempt to target some uncommon birds for banding! Nelson’s sparrows and marsh wrens will be the target of this interesting excursion into the former production area.Bats and Birds night!
Friday, Oct. 24
Bats: 6-8 p.m., Birds: 10 p.m.-12 a.m.
Join us for a presentation by Marne Titchenell, the Wildlife Program Specialist at Ohio State University Extension, about Ohio’s bat species and what conservation efforts are being taken to ensure their safety in the future. Learn about how bat biologists do their research and what you might be able to do in your own back yard to help out! After a short break, come back for some northern saw-whet owl banding as the season for these tiny owls has just begun!Monthly Bird Walk: Sparrow Walk
Saturday, Oct. 25, 8-10 a.m.
It’s late in the migration season but many sparrows are still moving through, so come join us as we try to find as many species as possible on this 2-mile hike. This hike will cover unpaved gravel trails and some grassy trails on the hickory trail and former production area, so we recommend wearing sturdy footwear!Cold War Book Club: Cleaning up the Bomb Factory with Dr. Casey Huegel
Saturday, Oct. 25, 4-5 p.m.
Join us in the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center community meeting room to discuss Cleaning Up the Bomb Factory with the book’s author, Dr. Casey Huegel. This discussion is inspired by the upcoming 20th anniversary of the surface clean-up at Fernald, which finished in 2006.Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding
Friday, Oct. 31, 9-11:30 p.m.
Northern saw-whet owl banding is back for the year, so join us as we attempt to catch one of North America’s smallest owls! This program contains a 1-mile hike to observe the nets, so participants should wear sturdy footwear. Preregistration is required.All programs begin in the visitors center. To preregister, please email fernald@lm.doe.gov or call (513) 648-3330 and leave your name, contact number and the date of your request. In the event of inclement weather, please call our weather line at: (513) 738-2101.
Fernald Preserve Visitors Center
7400 Willey Road, Hamilton, OH 45013The 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.