Press Room

Earth Day Events Highlight Year-Round Conservation

CLEVELAND—April 18, 2023—The Cleveland Museum of Natural History works to help people better understand and connect with nature. As part of that work, the Museum preserves natural areas for science, education, and enjoyment through land protection, care, and management. The Museum believes strongly in the importance of protecting these areas and conducting the ongoing stewardship necessary to support conservation. This Earth Day weekend, several public programs will highlight the Museum’s commitment to these efforts.

Earth Day Community Day at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Sunday, April 23, community members are invited to visit the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for an Earth Day celebration. Earth Day Community Day guests will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from local organizations that are working to protect and preserve our natural resources by building connections in our communities. From 10am to 5pm, the following partners will be on site:

  • Alliance for the Great Lakes
  • Case Western Reserve University Women in Science and Engineering Roundtable
  • Cleveland Cultural Gardens
  • Drink Local. Drink Tap. Inc.
  • Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District 

Planetarium shows, 3D movies, and wildlife presentations will be available. This program is included with general admission. Every Sunday, residents of the City of Cleveland and East Cleveland receive free admission to the Museum through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Days.

Free Earth Day Hikes in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Natural Areas 

Celebrate Earth Day at Mentor Marsh—Saturday, April 22, at 10am, 1pm & 4pm

Museum naturalists are hosting free Earth Day hikes at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, the site of an ongoing restoration project by Museum conservation staff. Visitors are invited to hike the preserve’s trail system and admire the spring wildflowers blooming in its forests. From the rim of the Marsh, visitors will have an excellent view of the restored wetland habitat and great opportunities for birdwatching and other wildlife observation, including a possible glimpse of the Marsh’s nesting bald eagle pair and other raptors that take flight over the wetlands. Registration is requested for these free hikes.

Happy Earth Day! Nature Hike at Mentor Marsh—Sunday, April 23, at 2pm

Guests are invited to celebrate Earth Day by searching for signs of new and returning life at Mentor Marsh. Registration is requested for this free hike.

Preserves That Are Open to the Public

Visitors are welcome to tour the Museum’s three preserves that are open to the public, either on their own or on a guided tour led by a Museum curator or naturalist: Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, Scheele Preserve on Kelleys Island, and the North Kingsville Sand Barrens. The Museum has also partnered with the Medina County Park District and is exploring options to expand public access at its Cox Preserve in Medina County.

For a complete list of upcoming hikes, please visit CMNH.org/explore/calendar. Prices for guided field trips were recently reduced, to $5 for Museum members and $10 for nonmembers.

Conservation and Preservation Efforts Since the Last Earth Day

Established in 1956, the Museum’s Natural Areas Program now stewards more than 12,300 acres of nature preserves throughout northern Ohio. The Museum's preserves represent the broad spectrum of habitats that historically existed in the region, including hardwood forest, Lake Erie island, fossil dune ridge, marsh, swamp forest, and glacial wetland, among others. These natural areas serve as an outstanding resource for studying and teaching the public about the remarkable biological diversity of the region. In the past year, the Museum has pursued the following initiatives:

  • In partnership with the Ohio EPA, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and others, the Museum is managing a project that will help restore Mentor Marsh, a coastal wetland once devastated by industrial-waste dumping. The Museum is working to remove invasive species of flora and encourage the return of native plants and animals.
  • The Museum has entered into a 25-year lease agreement with the Medina County Park District to restore and manage a portion of the 69-acre Cox Nature Preserve, located in Guilford Township. This agreement marks the first time the Museum has partnered with a park district to develop and manage the infrastructure at one of its preserves.
  • The Museum added 51.5 acres of land to its Hubbard Preserve. This addition connects the Museum’s Blakeslee-Barrows and Hubbard Preserves, creating a 340-acre contiguous nature preserve that includes nearly 2.5 miles along Conneaut Creek. The land contains a population of the state-endangered striped maple as well as habitat utilized by the rare rapids clubtail dragonfly; the globallyrare West Virginia white butterfly; and the cerulean warbler, a state species of concern.
  • The Museum added a 268-acre tract to its Windsor Woods Preserve. The new property, straddling the Ashtabula County and Trumbull County lines, increases the size of the preserve from 643 to 911 acres. The newly acquired land will buffer the existing preserve, ensuring the long-term protection of the numerous rare plants and animals it supports. The Windsor Woods Preserve contains high-quality floodplain on the Grand River, numerous tributary streams, and extensive swamp forest habitat.
  • The Museum acquired the 14.358-acre Etoll Tract at its existing Floyd Preserve, located in northeast Ashtabula County in Monroe Township. This acquisition expands the Floyd Preserve from 81 to 95 acres and was funded in full by a grant from the Ohio EPA through its Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP). The property contains picturesque natural features and outstanding habitat for a number of rare species, including a globally vulnerable species of fish, the redside dace; the state-endangered striped maple; and Irish ruffwort, a unique species of liverwort found in only four other locations in the state.
  • The Museum added 66 acres of land to its Sawdust Preserve, expanding the site to 588 acres. The Museum began its conservation work at Sawdust in 2015 with the goal of protecting a large intact forest block that could be utilized by species of forest birds that require such habitat, including the cerulean warbler. This project received funding from the Ohio EPA through the Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program (WRRSP). The property also features a high-quality tributary stream, which supports populations of noteworthy native fish species, including three different species of dace—the blacknose dace, the southern redbelly dace, and the globally rare redside dace. 

Cleveland Museum of Natural History Contributes to and Supports Natural Climate Solutions

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History continuously contributes to natural climate solutions, which leverage an ecosystem’s natural role in the carbon cycle to reduce emissions, through the work of its Natural Areas Division. The Museum supports these solutions by preventing habitat loss and deforestation, protecting and restoring land and wetlands, removing invasive species, and frequently reintroducing indigenous plants. These efforts return natural balances to habitats; encourage the return of wildlife; allow flora and fauna to thrive; and sequester carbon in wetlands, peat, and plant tissue.

About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Transformation Project 

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History opened part of its transformed campus in December 2022, introducing a new Wade Oval Entrance, modernized Education Wing, and updated galleries. This opening is the latest milestone in the Museum’s $150 million transformation project, which features a LEED-certified expansion, a complete reimagining of the Museum campus and all its exhibits, and the addition of new public spaces.

Pioneering a new model for natural history museums, the redesigned exhibits will place visitors at the center of the Museum experience—allowing them to better understand their connection with the natural world and the relevance of science to their daily lives. Slated for completion in late 2024, the transformation will showcase the Museum’s world-class assets while reflecting its role as a trusted resource that prioritizes engagement and responsiveness to its community.

The Transforming the World of Discovery campaign has raised more than $123 million for this project, which will expand the Museum's building and outdoor visitor areas to more than 375,000 square feet. The Museum appreciates the generous support from community members, corporations, foundations, and government grants that has helped to make this transformation a reality.

About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.

Media Contact

Samantha Guenther
External Communications Manager
216.403.4557
sguenther@cmnh.org