FOLLOW THE glowing videos that teach

viewers how to responsibly

LEADERS
These local naturalists have
taken to social media to share
their knowledge with a wider
audience. — K . B .
Black Forager
The opportunities for deli-
cious, nutritious, affordable,
and sustainable food don’t
just come from shelves and
pantries—they dwell on
our lands. Cincinnati-born
Alexis Nikole Nelson—also
known as Black Forager—is
a foraging educator and
environmental enthusiast
whose Instagram account,
which boasts more than 1.2
million followers, teems with
and safely forage for wild
foods. Nelson’s eccentric
lectures and creative recipes
have catapulted her into the
spotlight, with appearances
in national publications and
even a stint on Jimmy Kim-
mel Live! But it’s her love for
the natural world and her
message of symbiotic living
that make this hometown
girl a must-follow.
@blackforager
B the Keeper
Brandon Reynolds describes
himself as your friendly
neighborhood beekeeper,
but he’s transformed a hob-
by nurturing Earth’s buzzing,
flying insects into a business
that strives to restore their
livability in urbanized areas.
B the Keeper is Reynolds’s
Cincinnati-based startup
that consults with local
businesses, residents, and
municipalities to develop
pollinator gardens, bringing
life to neighborhoods with
plants that beautify spaces
and encourage pollinator
populations to flourish.
@b_thekeeper

Off the trail outlet was nowhere near

Beaten Path
Exploring Cincinnati’s
parks, one nature trail
at a time. — K I L L I A N B A A R L A E R
California Woods
Nature Preserve
Off the windy path of Kellogg
Avenue down a discreet, nar-
row driveway lies California
Woods Nature Preserve.
Being so close to the river,
the terrain seems to roll and
rear everywhere you look. We
explored the Junction Trail,
which, at just over a mile, is
the longest trail at the pre-
serve. On a brisk early spring
day, you could catch anything
from wildflowers blooming
out of a blanket of dead leaves
to shrubs sprouting leaves
of effervescent green. 5400
Kellogg Ave., California, (513)
231-8678
Burnet Woods
Burnet Woods, a respite from
the crowded and chaotic
urban junction of Clifton
and The Heights, is an easily
navigated network of trails
through a hilly forest that
we made our way through in
about 45 minutes. The park is
girdled by busy city streets,
and you can easily hear
wailing sirens and zooming
cars through the trees, but
despite the blacktop and
rocky paths, the park is
an invaluable oasis. 3251
Brookline Ave., Clifton, (513)
357-2604
Mt. Airy Forest
Mt. Airy Forest is 1,459 acres
of wooded serenity that could
be explored for days. We
started our journey on the
Red Oak trail and ended up…
well, elsewhere. When pre-
sented with a fork in the path,
curiosity in this expansive
landscape got the better of
us—there might be a little too
much to see. And although the
the starting point, we walked
the park road back, enrap-
tured that’s still so much left
to see in this little corner of
our world. 5083 Colerain Ave.,
(513) 357-2604
Lindner Park Nature
Preserve at the
McCullough Estate
Beyond a quaint white
house with black shutters
on Cypress Way in Norwood
is a 14-acre nature preserve
of rolling hills laden with ex-
panses of ground-sprawling
wild ginger and bald cypress
trees, which the street
derives its name from. The
McCulloughs once lived here
in harmony with nature. It’s
easy to find yourself playing
pretend amid the beauty and
nuggets of the past on the
estate, but the boundaries
are compact enough to feel
at home while your imagina-
tion—and feet—run wild. 2726
Cypress Way, Norwood, (513)
731-6455
Buttercup Valley
Nature Preserve
Lolling inconspicuously at
the end of a quiet residential
street in Northside is the
Buttercup Valley Nature Pre-
serve, a network of trails that
meanders over rolling slopes,
cutting through the hillsides
and over creeks. Fallen trees
and snags along the trail’s
opening stretch provide beds
for fluffy mosses, cave-like
underbellies for insects,
and perches for birds. It’s a
truly breathtaking landscape
functioning mightily amid a
bustling urban neighborhood.
1558 Stanford Dr., Northside,
(513) 357-2604
LEAVE NO
TRACE
Humans have caused an
awful lot of disruption to
wildlife. Follow the Leave No
Trace principles to mitigate
damage to surviving ecosys-
tems and responsibly enjoy
nature. — K . B .
1. Plan ahead before embarking on your
journey. Know what to expect and what you’re
capable of. You’ll throw consideration out the
window if you get yourself in a pinch.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
This means follow the designated trails, and
if you need to deviate to select a campsite or
use the bathroom, do so on a surface that has
already been disturbed or won’t be scarred by
your presence.
3. Dispose of waste properly. This is pretty
simple—don’t litter! And for the inevitable
bathroom break, latrines and cat holes are your
best options.
4. Leave what you find. This allows nature to
persist in its cycle and other human visitors to
enjoy the rightful experience.
5. Minimize campfire impacts. Portable
camp stoves are the most efficient and innocu-
ous method to cook in the wilderness, but if fire
is essential, try finding preexisting fire rings.
Also, be absolutely sure to fully extinguish it.
6. Respect wildlife. You’re in their home. How
would you like it if some bozo walked in your
house gawking and causing you to overthink
your daily routines?
7. Be considerate of others. No one owns this
planet. Relish the beauty of what we have with
kindness and compassion.

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P H OTO G R A P H C O U R T E SY K AT E G I L L E O F T H E C I N C I N N AT I PA R K S F O U N DAT I O N I L LU S T R AT I O N BY J E N L E E M - B R U G G E N