Birding Trip to Fernald Preserve

Join us for a free guided birding excursion on June 20 at the Fernald Preserve, just 25 miles outside Cincinnati, Ohio, co-led by staff from Wild Birds Unlimited and hosted by Kentucky Conservation Committee. The hour-long walk will be followed by a half-hour discussion in the Fernald Visitors Center about the site's unique history.

· 7 a.m. Meet at Wild Birds Unlimited in Lexington, Ky. (152 N. Locust Hill Dr. Lexington)

· 7:30 a.m.– 9:30 a.m. Carpool or drive to the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center, 7400 Willey Rd., Hamilton, Ohio, 45013

· 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Bird walk.

· 10:45 a.m. –11:15 a.m. Discussion of Fernald's nuclear history and remediation

· Cost: Free. A limited number of binoculars will be available to borrow.

· Snacks and bottled water will be provided. Feel free to bring your own packed lunch to enjoy.

· RSVP by Monday, June 15

Fernald Preserve is one of the most quietly remarkable birding destinations in the Ohio Valley. More than 250 bird species have been recorded there, drawn to its 140 acres of wetlands, 400 acres of forest, and 360 acres of native grassland and tallgrass prairie. Depending on the season, you might encounter short-eared owls, dickcissels, American white pelicans, warblers on the move, or grassland species.

But Fernald has a dramatic backstory—and it’s one we think every citizen of this region deserves to know.

From 1951 to 1989, it was home to a uranium processing facility that operated quietly as part of America's nuclear weapons production, Most of the surrounding communities were unaware of its true purpose. Over those decades, radioactive contamination spread into the soil, groundwater, and air. When it closed, Fernald became one of the nation’s most significant Superfund clean-up sites. Its 17-year, $4.4-billion cleanup was one of the largest environmental remediation efforts in U.S. history. The clean-up that created Fernald Preserve was driven largely by ordinary citizens in the greater Cincinnati community who were determined advocates for the environment.

Today, Fernald is a place of genuine beauty and hard-won progress, with native habitat restored, flourishing wildlife, and an award-winning Visitors Center on site that tells Fernald's story. But Fernald's story isn't finished. Groundwater remediation continues today, and the site is under the long-term stewardship of the Department of Energy's Office of Legacy Management. It's a wonderful place to go birding, to consider nuclear production's risks and legacy, and to celebrate local citizens' advocacy on behalf of the environment.

The Fernald Preserve is not a sponsor of this event.