The sun was out, masks were (mostly) on, and the pond at Burnet Woods was buzzing with boat traffic. This Saturday, our Urban Wilderness Program staff hosted a free canoeing session as part of the Great Outdoor Week, a series of nearly 100 outdoor events across Cincinnati.

On January 6, 1999, then-Ohio Congressman Rob Portman stood before his colleagues in the US House of Representatives to pay tribute to one of Cincinnati’s “finest citizens.” He was speaking about longtime Kooch-i-ching Director John Holden, who had recently succumbed to cancer at the age of 75.

The Urban Wilderness Program’s STEM-based boatbuilding program is in full swing and fifth-graders at Kilgour School in Cincinnati completed their third canoe last week.

To stay relevant, we must strive to be best-in-class, to be year-round, and to reach as many young people as possible.