Course Runs May 17 – July 22, 2025 and includes:
Registration Requirements: Preregistration required. Registration is open now! Register by May 13, 2025.
Recommended Audience: This program is available to adults and mature teens 16 and up; however, only participants ages 18 and up who complete the course will receive certification through OSU.
Program Description: Cincinnati Nature Center is proud to be a host site and partner with Ohio State University Extension for this 40-hour educational course that encompasses the topics of Ohio's watersheds, aquatic life, geology, soils, plants, forests, insects, and animals (reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals).
Each topic is taught by experts and community stakeholders from across the region.
To receive certification, upon completing the OCVN course participants must document 40 hours of volunteer service and/or continuing education at any Ohio organization with a compatible program mission. In addition, after certification, 30 hours of volunteer service and/or continuing education are required annually to remain certified.
If you choose not to pursue certification, you are still welcome to take this course for your own knowledge and enjoyment.
More information about the OCVN program can be found on Extension’s Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Page.
To understand more about the certification requirements, visit the OCVN’s Frequently Asked Questions Webpage.
The mission of the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program is to “promote awareness and citizen stewardship of Ohio's natural resources through science-based education and community service.”
The course is offered throughout the state, and Cincinnati Nature Center is the largest provider. Here, we offer four different formats—one is sure to fit your needs! Plan ahead and mark your calendars to register, because each cohort sells out quickly!
Program Benefits:
Please note:
What to Expect: Summer Cohort (live online lunch breaks with early Saturdays and a night hike)
This schedule lets you do much of your learning online over your lunch break, and includes three lovely field experiences. If you have the flexibility to take a long lunch break twice a week, you’ll enjoy live 90–minute online lectures every Tuesday and Thursday in June and July. The required field sessions will delight you with an evening of fireflies, spider eyeshine, and owls calling, plus two early Saturdays exploring fields, forests, ponds, and streams in late May-early June before things heat up.
Course Runs May 17 – July 22, 2025 and includes:
Attendance is mandatory; do not register if you will miss more than 4 hours of time, as you cannot make these classes up at a later date.
Cost: $310 includes OSU certification fees and all required reading materials. All cancellations or transfers are subject to a $50 administrative fee per request. Cancellations made with less than two weeks’ notice will not be refunded.
Check your email for registration information regarding this transaction. SAVE A TREE, please retain your order number or save an electronic copy of the email acknowledgement as a receipt. You may be asked for your order number from your transaction to gain entry at the gate/to attend your program. Visitor Services associates can also verify your etickets from the order number or by name.
Please note that our program and cancellation policies vary. By completing registration for this program, you agree to the following Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist at Cincinnati Nature Center Policies.