LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: outdoors

  • Volunteer with the Loveland Learning Garden and “Nurture Young Minds and Nature”

    Volunteer with the Loveland Learning Garden and “Nurture Young Minds and Nature”

    David Miller is the Editor and Publisher of Loveland Magazine

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – The mission of Loveland Learning Garden is to foster lifelong connections to the wonders of the natural world. Their mission statement says, “We believe in the benefits of immersing kids in the outdoors from a young age and the lasting impact of positive impressions with nature.” To support this, the non-profit creates and manages garden and nature-based programs on school grounds for elementary students. “Our garden and nature trail are used to enhance classroom study while allowing children an opportunity to experience nature, the satisfaction of growing their own food, and contributing harvest to the local food pantry.”

    Description

    The program in Loveland serves ~1,400 1st through 4th-grade students and has been a local and national role model for outdoor school garden and nature programs. Working in collaboration with school administration and staff, they offer a complete package of services that include:

    • Design and year-round maintenance of educational food garden and nature trail on school grounds.
    • A customized, age-appropriate curriculum aligned with both school and state requirements
    • A schedule of outdoor learning classes is provided for classroom teacher signup
    • Nature educators prepared to teach interactive lessons
    • A non-profit board overseeing results and building a sustainable operation with strong school and teacher partnership
    • Hands-on learning enhancing student understanding of science, math, social studies, health, and the natural world as they interact with their environment.
    • After-school enrichment programs and community events
    • Donation to the local food pantry and use of all food grown
    • Student discovery of plant cycles, garden habitats, food production, and fresh produce
    • Student connection and observation of change in nature

    The Learning Garden is on the search for Nature Educators to lead lessons in the garden and/or nature trail during the school day or as part of our afterschool program this fall. Here is the link to the Volunteer Match.

    Come volunteer with other like-minded people in the beautiful learning garden. No experience is necessary, the new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary and Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Road. The garden is in between the buildings when looking from the street side. Look for a garden shed with the Learning Garden logo, Bring your family and friends. Children are welcome, Feel free to leave early or come later as needed.

    Upcoming Opportunities

    You can help students navigate the nature trail
    • Come help us make kids smile outdoors! Aug 22 – Oct 28. An outdoor hands-on nature education program. Loveland Learning Garden offers interactive lessons in our schoolyard garden and nature trail to 1st-4th graders during the school day. Classroom teachers signup to bring their students outside to learn and our Nature Educators take over. We offer lessons on weekdays in 40-minute slots between the hours of 9:30-3:30pm.
    • Help in garden!! (No experience necessary) Aug 19, 4:00 PM – 07:00 PM. Come volunteer with us in our beautiful learning garden! No experience necessary, our new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary & Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Rd. The Garden is in between the buildings.
    • Help in garden!! (No experience necessary) Aug 17, 4:30 PM – 07:30 PM. Come volunteer with us in our beautiful learning garden! No experience is necessary, Our new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary & Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Rd. The Garden is in between the buildings .
    • Help in garden!! (No experience necessary)Aug 7, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Come volunteer with us in our beautiful learning garden! No experience necessary, our new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary & Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Rd. Garden is in between the building whenDate Posted: July 25, 2022
    • Help in garden!! (No experience necessary) Aug 27, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Come volunteer with us in our beautiful learning garden! No experience necessary, our new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary & Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Rd. Garden is in between the building whenDate Posted: July 25, 2022
    • Help in garden!! (No experience necessary) Aug 26, 4:30 PM – 07:30 PM. Come volunteer with us in our beautiful learning garden! No experience necessary, our new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary & Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Rd. Garden is in between the building whenDate Posted: July 25, 2022
    • Help in garden!! (No experience necessary)Aug 20, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Come volunteer with us in our beautiful learning garden! No experience necessary, our new garden manager will be there to guide you all along the way. Tasks may include transplanting, planting seeds, weeding, laying wood chips, compost management, etc. Meet at the garden located in between the Loveland Primary & Elementary schools on Loveland Madeira Rd. Garden is in between the building.
    INFO@LOVELANDLEARNINGGARDEN.ORG

    Read this story by Cassie Mattia and watch this video LM published in August of last year

    How to Get Involved With The Loveland Learning Garden!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Would you like to make a difference and give back to the community? Local non-profit, The Loveland Learning Garden, provides the opportunity for anyone to volunteer to help teach local students about the environment, or maintain the vegetable garden, the flower garden, and the nature trail!

    Read on…

    Check out the video below as Laurie Flanagan explained how you can help the Loveland Learning Garden!

    Here are some photos provided by the Learning Garden to show you what a wonderful program you can be involved in.

    Follow the Loveland Learning Garden on Instagram and FaceBook.

    Email to: INFO@LOVELANDLEARNINGGARDEN.ORG

  • Love-the-Land by Stephen McClanahan

    Love-the-Land by Stephen McClanahan

    Meet Loveland Magazine’s newest columnist. A long-time resident of Miami Township, Stephen McClanahan is retired from P&G and now active in environmental advocacy, search/rescue and emergency medical/disaster response. The title of his column will be Love-the Land.

    It’s interesting how experiences come into your life that forever alter who you are. Years ago, a group of friends backpacked the Elizabeth Pass trail in Sequoia National Park, about a 50-mile loop. One day when we decided we had found a good place for camp, John and I went for an early evening scramble up a nearby boulder-strewn hill. It was good to move without packs and we were enjoying the climb over chunks of rock the size of cars.

    When we summited, we discovered that we had stumbled upon a sizeable alpine lake, completely still in the fading sunlight of the cloudless day.

    We sat and tried to absorb the mirrored water that was in front of us, but the silence was overwhelming, crushing us in its utter tranquility. Nothing moved, absolutely nothing. No wind, bird in flight or ripple on the water existed, a lake as quiet as the boulders that rimmed it. The complete stillness washed over us, and we too became totally silent, trying to not to disturb the beautiful, holy moment in which we were immersed. No doubt that we were on sacred ground and were deeply blessed for being in its presence. 

    Twenty years in the passing and I remember that time as if it were now. It is seared into my brain. When I read ‘be still and know I am God’, I begin to have a deeper understanding of what it means. Nature has a way of doing that to you, if you will let yourself be exposed.  

    I certainly have not had every adventure that I dream of, but I cherish every one that has come my way. Each has taught me something about life and my place in it.

    In the coming weeks and months, I hope to share thoughts, experiences and moments with you that derive from my journeys out there.

    In the coming weeks and months, I hope to share thoughts, experiences and moments with you that derive from my journeys out there. I hope to paint pictures for you of what lies in store for those willing to experience what is sometimes referred to as the back country. Yes, it costs some creature comforts and demands some efforts to venture into the wilderness, but what it gives in return is priceless. 

    As you can probably surmise from my words, I am at home in the wild; it is so utterly beautiful and majestic, and I cannot help but want to share it. By doing so, I hope to create and embolden your desire to immerse yourself in a bit of the world out there.  So, let’s journey together.