When staff at the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and its community partners were planning for this year’s 50^th anniversary of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), they wanted to ensure that the programming was inclusive of everybody’s experience with the Park, and the many ways they use the 33,000 acres of greenspace, waterways, woods, and trails.

The group considered how people interact with nature in the park, which includes more than 900 plant species, more than 200 species of birds, 91 aquatic macroinvertebrates, 43 fish, 32 mammals, 22 amphibians, and 20 species of reptiles.

As an autistic person, landscape designer Maci Nelson reflects on how natural spaces help her relax and “unmask.”“As humans, we are all connected to nature—each one of us, in universal and in personal ways,” observes Lindsay Regan, Conservancy for CVNP ‘s vice president of visitor experiences. “As society has become more urbanized, many people may feel increasingly disconnected from the natural world.

Regan recommends people look for nature everywhere—not just in the CVNP, but wherever they may be at the time. “It’s certainly in parks and rural areas, but it’s also in potted plants and neighborhood birds,” she says. “It’s in our own lived experiences, but also in our imaginations.”

An all-inclusive celebration

With Regan’s suggestion in mind, the organizers decided that part of the 50^th celebration would encourage people to re-connect with nature—especially people who may have been affected by factors that have possibly disconnected them.

Out of that thinking, and a lot of brainstorming and conversations, emerged the “Nature Includes You” traveling photo exhibition and program series, debuting this Saturday, March 29 at Community Life Collaborative in Chagrin Falls. The exhibit will travel to Akron, CVNP, and other locations in its full form, as well as three versions—a gallery-style version with panels that hang on the wall, a tradeshow-style exhibit with pull-up banners that sit on the floor, and a digital show that runs as a silent loop. There are both indoor and outdoor pop-up versions of the exhibit.

The Conservancy plans to have one to two associated programs a month during the two-year tour that will offer a wide range of experiences—including family-friendly activities, photography workshops, artist talks, panel discussions, guided hikes, yoga and gentle movement in nature.

Nature Includes YouCVNP partnered with Museum of Creative Human Art (MOCHA) and The Conservancy to work with 15 organizations that contributed images of people from diverse Northeast Ohio communities, taken by more than 20 photographers.

MOCHA identified photographers Ryan Harris, Amber Ford, and McKinley Wiley, who helped convey the creative vision in the photoshoots commissioned by the project. The curatorial team also selected images through a community call for submissions, and several Northeast Ohio institutions and community organizations shared historic images.

It took several passes reviewing each individual image that was submitted for the curatorial team to narrow the selection down to the 65 images in the show.

Inspired by nature

Regan says the theme was inspired by discussions with community partners and people in the region—encouraging them to share their own nature-inspired stories.

She says organizers also began to spotlight how Northeast Ohioans have historically connected to nature in the past century, as well as the forces that have tried to disconnect them from their natural environments.

“Through many conversations, we've asked the questions, ‘Who has access to outdoor recreational opportunities and nourishing foods?’ and ‘Who is most impacted by pollution, flooding, and other problems,’” Regan explains.

“By broadly engaging local audiences in untold stories and an exploration of their own stories, we are spotlighting the myriads of ways that Northeast Ohioans have been connected to nature over the past century,” she continues.

The Conservancy for CVNP launches “Nature Includes You” this Saturday, March 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Community Life Collaborative’s Family Center in Chagrin Falls, followed by a discussion with the creative team and a family-friendly scavenger hunt. The Chagrin Falls exhibit will run through May 25.

A pop-up version of the show will then be on view Tuesday, April 1 at the Joy Park Community Center in Akron and run through April 30, before the full version of the show travels to CVNP, where it will open in The Gallery on Saturday, May 31 and run through Sep. 3.

Tim Lewis proudly displays a painting of his late mentor, Rid-All Green Partnership co-founder Damien Forshe.Regan says “Nature Includes You” intends to do exactly what its title implies. “This exhibition of photography and program series challenges stereotypes about who belongs in Northeast Ohio’s green spaces—because we all do,” she says.

Ultimately, the hope is that Cuyahoga Valley's 50th anniversary will spark community conversations about what it means to live, work, and play in an urban, industrialized environment,” Regan says.

“Cleveland aspires to be a ‘Green City on a Blue Lake’ and Northeast Ohio has a rich history of people coming together to advocate for a healthy environment for all of us,” she says. “This project builds on those efforts, helps communicate a more comprehensive history of our area, and contributes toward a vision for the next 50 years.”

Traveling photo exhibit schedule

The Nature Includes You photo exhibition will travel throughout Northeast Ohio for two years. The Conservancy for CVNP has just started to take bookings. The Conservancy is also creating five online themed galleries. Check the Nature Includes You page for all updates.

• Community Life Collaborative’s Family Life Center, 16349 Chillicothe Road, Chagrin Falls 44023: March 29 to May 25. Open Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., except May 3–10.
• Joy Park Community Center, 825 Fuller Street, Akron 44306: April 1 to 30. Open Mondays through Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Gallery across from Boston Store (near Boston Mill Visitor Center) at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 1565 Boston Mills Road, Peninsula, 44264: May 31 through September 3. Open Fridays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.