The Riverbank Learning Garden - A Lesson from our Past and Hope for the Future
Today, a grand eastern cottonwood tree towers over the waterfront in front of the Newport Aquarium, serving as a reminder of what used to be. The tree, which is likely over a hundred years old, is the oldest and largest tree in the Greater Cincinnati stretch of the Ohio River. When encroachment from development threatened the tree’s survival, the WAVE Foundation decided to intervene. Working with the Newport Aquarium and the City of Newport, we devised a plan that would not only preserve the cottonwood, but would create a gathering place for the community as well as an outdoor classroom for WAVE’s education programs. The Riverbank Learning Garden was born.
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Thanks to a generous gift from the Dornette Foundation, on May 23, 2006, the WAVE Foundation dedicated the Riverbank Learning Garden to the citizens of Newport and the surrounding Greater Cincinnati area. Carefully constructed to preserve the tree, the garden is designed with eco-friendly materials such as porous bricks that allow water and oxygen to reach the tree’s roots. Seating stones interspersed through the native plantings are perfect for a passerby to enjoy the shade of the tree’s canopy while reading, socializing, or simply enjoying the scenery. Classes hosted by the WAVE Foundation’s Finstitute assemble in the Learning Garden for hands-on experiences that teach the importance of native plants and animals to the health of the Ohio River watershed. By starting with experiences in their own “backyard,” WAVE hopes to inspire children to observe, appreciate and preserve the world around them.
Commemorative bricks are available in the Riverbank Learning Garden. For information on dedicating a brick, click here or call 859.815.1404.
Since 2000, the WAVE Foundation has supported ORSANCO during their Riversweep program in an effort to promote water quality awareness.
Riversweep is an annual riverbank cleanup of the Ohio River and its tributaries covering nearly 3,000 miles of shoreline.
In 2006, more than 40 WAVE volunteers and staff participated in the one-day cleanup. In this one day alone, 13,000 tons of trash and
other debris were collected from the banks of the Ohio River and all its tributaries. All the trash collected during the day is either
recycled or placed in approved landfills.
Riversweep 2007- Date TBD
Do not pollute! Trash in your own neighborhood can find its way into our rivers and streams. To learn more about Riversweep visit: www.orsanco.org/comm/riversweep/default.asp
Become a Riversweep volunteer! Join WAVE staff and volunteers in this community effort. To volunteer please call 859.815.1448.
Volunteer as a Gardener
Buy a garden brick
Date of next Riversweep, how to sign up, release forms
Donate to WAVE
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