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Upcoming Events

E-Waste Collection Event

Hosted by Great Parks

@ Winton Woods

November 2nd 9AM-12PM

Learn more


Climate Health Equity Webinar Series: Climate Change, Food Access and Health Outcomes

Hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council 

November 6th 12 – 1PM 

Learn more and register  


Incentives to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

Hosted by Faith Communities Go Green

November 13th 7 – 8PM

Learn more and register



BYOBucket Compost Sale

Hosted by Common Orchard Project @ Camp Washington Perrenial Farm

November 16th 2 – 4PM

Learn more

Come Work with OES!


As you may be aware, the awesome OES team is growing! We have three positions currently open and are accepting applications.


  • Food Access & Communications VISTA – apply ASAP!
  • Recycling Tech – closes 11/6/24
  • Energy Tech – closes 11/8/24


Please visit the OES Jobs Page to learn more, share with others, and apply!

JOIN THE OES TEAM! LEARN MORE

Electrify Cincy: How To Electrify?

If you, or an organization you are a part of, are interested in learning more about Electrify Cincy or would like to request a presentation, please reach out to nolan.brown@cincinnati-oh.gov.


Remember..."when it dies, electrify!"

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Urban Agriculture Funding Available

OES Urban Ag Minigrants – due 11/15/24

For fiscal year 2025, the City is offering mini grants to support urban agriculture. Funds are available for agricultural production and growing sites as well as for local food aggregation & distribution sites. To qualify for funding, the site location must be within the City of Cincinnati. Applicants can be non-profit or for-profit corporations and other entities may be considered. Grants are not made to individuals. Applications are due Friday, November 15, 2024. For more information, including Guidelines and Application click here.


NRCS EQIP Program Financial and Technical Assistance

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to address natural resource concerns and to deliver environmental benefits, such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, and improved or created wildlife habitat. Practices included in this program include high tunnels, pollinator plantings, raised beds, low tunnels, tree plantings, and more. For more information, contact Michaela Werling, Urban Conservationist, at 614-507-4145 or Michaela.werling@usda.gov

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Regional Climate Action Input Request

OES is a member of Thrive Together, a regional coalition of local governments, non-profits, and businesses creating a regional climate action plan for Greater Cincinnati. OKI, Green Umbrella, and OES would like to encourage your participation in the engagement phase happening now. Share your ideas regarding environmental issues, climate hazards, and potential solutions you would like to see included in the region’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan by using Thrive Together’s Go Vocal platform. Visit the “Engage by Community” or “General Survey” pages to participate.

PROVIDE INPUT HERE

GCP Seeds of Change Are Growing

The new GCP Seeds of Change Grant Program aims to activate everyday residents and non-profit partners to bring the Green Cincinnati Plan to life across Cincinnati. Since launching earlier this year, the program has funded 28 different projects reaching 32 neighborhoods with a total investment of $236,769. See below and upcoming e-newsletters for inspiring updates from funded projects:

The University of Cincinnati Students for Burnet Woods organization is creating accessible and diverse environmental education videos focusing on the culture, ecosystem, and features of Burnet Woods. They are utilizing a variety of media strategies that incorporate expert spotlights, science tutorials, tours, and features of the park. OES Team members recently visited one of their recording sessions filmed at Burnet Woods. They are making great progress through collaboration!

SonLight Power and Bloc Ministries, alongside several other partners, successfully installed their Horses on the Hill Solar Array. Horses on the Hill is a unique, urban equine therapy program serving residents experiencing trauma. The solar array should produce enough electricity to power everything at the farm. Thanks to the cost savings from solar energy, resources once spent on electric bills can be redirected to enhance programs and reach more people.

Beekman Community Market, supported by Working In Neighborhoods, is a multi-pronged effort to drive food sovereignty in the neighborhoods of the Beekman Corridor. They hosted a fall soil mixing and seed starting workshop at South Cumminsville Community Garden in August, facilitated by a successful North Fairmount gardener. Ten residents attended and provided positive feedback on their learning experience. Everyone participating received seeds. And this is just but one of several prongs of their effort!

LEARN MORE

Public Charging Grants Awarded

A key GCP strategy of providing access to electric vehicle (EV) charging in priority communities is gaining traction. After receiving two grants totaling more than $2 million, the City and its partners will begin to install up to 20 publicly accessible EV charging stations on City property. The first, funded by the OKI Carbon Reduction Fund, will result in the installation of Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) stations in three low-income communities. The second, through the U.S. Department of Transportation Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant, provides funds to install 2-4 publicly accessible EV charging ports at 18 different locations in the City. All sites are either in or adjacent to a disadvantaged community that are less likely to see investment from private developers of EV charging infrastructure due to low EV penetration rates.



OES Staff Corner - Welcome, Laura!

OES welcomes Laura Lair, the City’s new Food Waste Reduction & Community Compost Coordinator! Funded by a grant from USDA and city funds, Laura will be working with community stakeholders and providing support to increase food rescue and community composting, including the installation of composting infrastructure on urban agriculture sites. Laura is an environmental scientist with a background in water quality, wetlands, sustainability, and solid waste management. Before joining the City of Cincinnati, she worked as Project Manager for Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality. In her role, Laura led water quality monitoring efforts and assisted with projects related to recycling, litter prevention, household hazardous waste, and composting. She enjoys finding new ways to incorporate zero-waste living into her daily life, sharing waste reduction tips with friends and family, being part of the Community Darkroom at Manifest Drawing Center, and paddling the Little Miami River. Connect with Laura at laura.lair@cincinnati-oh.gov with any opportunities to collaborate!



GCP Partner Spotlight: SORTA/Metro

Photo and logo courtesy of SORTA/Metro

OES would like to highlight SORTA/Metro for their commitment to continually improving bus service for Cincinnati residents, visitors, and commuters alike! Metro’s Reinventing Metro initiative is critical to achieving the Green Cincinnati Plan’s Mobility goals. Reinventing Metro is implementing more frequent service on 26 routes, longer service hours on 18 routes, 8 new routes, increased weekend service, new transit centers, better bus stops, better bus amenities—including wifi and charging ports—and two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes throughout the city. All of these improvements serve to better connect our city through public transit, which is also becoming greener all the time. Metro is upgrading diesel buses to hybrid and the BRT lines will be electrified! In addition to providing better service, Metro is equally dedicated to providing equitable access to transportation by subsidizing fares for low-income residents through Everybody Rides Metro. To learn more about SORTA/Metro, please visit their website!

If your organization's mission aligns with any of the GCP priority actions, please visit our website to learn more about becoming an official GCP Partner. 

RESOURCES

Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability

Cincinnati Recycles

Green Umbrella

City of Cincinnati

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The Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES) leads City government and the broader community in building a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient Cincinnati.

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