As Northeast Ohio’s well-known curators of preservation, science and education, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) aims to connect the public with nature. 

Protecting Northeast Ohio’s natural areas is a key facet of the museum’s work— a mission highlighted this coming Earth Day weekend through a series of public programs on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23. 

Earth Day Community Day
Everybody is welcome to join an Earth Day celebration at the museum this Sunday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guests will meet local officials dedicated to protecting and preserving the region’s most vital natural resources. Organizations on-hand will include: 

• Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Roundtable Cleveland
• Drink Local. Drink Tap. Inc.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

Mentor Marsh Additionally, Planetarium shows, 3D movies and wildlife presentations will be included with general admission. Don't forget—all Cleveland and East Cleveland residents receive free admission every Sunday through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Days .Additionally, Planetarium shows, 3D movies and wildlife presentations will be included with general admission.

Don’t forget—all Cleveland and East Cleveland residents receive free admission every Sunday through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Days.

Take an Earth Day hike at Mentor Marsh
Enjoy a free Earth Day hike at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve on Saturday, April 22. The hike, hosted by the museum, will guide visitors through the site of an ongoing marsh restoration project.

Participants traversing the preserve will get a view of spring wildflowers as well as the restored wetland. Opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife observation make the hike a must for nature lovers. The two-hour hikes depart at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. Registration is required and exact locations of each hike will be emailed after registration.

Happy Earth Day! Nature hike at Mentor Marsh
On Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. Guests are invited to celebrate Earth Day by enjoying new and returning life at Mentor Marsh on a family-friendly hike departing from the Carol H. Sweet Nature Center, 5185 Corduroy Road. Mentor.Registration requested.

Preserves open to the public
Feel like hiking a new tail or preserve? Three CMNH nature preserves are available for guests this Earth Day weekend:

• Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5185 Corduroy Road, Mentor
• Scheele Preserve on Kelleys Island, East side of Monagan Road, just north of the Hamilton Road intersection, Kelley’s Island
• North Kingsville Sand Barrens, Poore Road, North Kingsville 

Mentor MarshRecent conservation and preservation efforts at CMNH
The museum’s Natural Areas Program stewards more than 12,300 acres of regional nature preserves. A broad spectrum of habits exists in this landscape—marsh, swamp land, hardwood forest, and glacial wetland, just to name a few.

In the past year, CMNH has pursued the following initiatives to improve the region’s biological diversity:

• Restoration of Mentor Marsh in partnership with groups including the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Through this work, the museum is helping to restore coastal wetland devastated by dumping of industrial waste.
• A 25-year lease agreement with Medina County Park District to manage a portion of the 69-acre Cox Nature Preserve in Guilford Township.
• The museum added 51.5 acres of land to its Hubbard preserve, which now connects its Blakeslee-Barrows and Hubbard preserves in Ashtabula County.
• A new 268-acre tract along the museum’s Windsor Woods Preserve in Mesopotamia ensures long-term protection of numerous rare plants and animals.
• Acquisition of the 14.3-acre Etoll Tract in the Museum’s Floyd Preserve safeguards many rare animal species.
• The museum increased the size of Sawdust Preserve in Geneva by 66 acres, with the goal of protecting fish and forest bird habitats.

The Museum supports natural climate solutions
An organization-wide focus on climate solutions comprises wetland restoration and protection, removal of invasive species, and reintroduction of indigenous plants. Wildlife and plants thrive through these efforts, which further encourage carbon sequestration in peat, wetlands and plant tissue.