Stronger together: Celebrating our fall partners

In September, Adventure Crew partnered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Civic Garden Center, B the Keeper and Groundwork Ohio River Valley to help restore former Underground Railroad passage as part of East Fork State Park's new Heritage of Freedom Trail.

Wow – October, already? We are well into fall, with one month of adventures in the books since our 2025–26 program year began! I wanted to take the opportunity to express our boundless thanks to the incredible partners who are helping to open new worlds of opportunity in the outdoors for our teens this fall.

Adventure Crew’s mission has always been to connect city teens with nature and each other through engaging outdoor adventures. But we couldn’t do this without the collaboration of extraordinary organizations and individuals who share their expertise, space, equipment or other resources in ways that make our Crew Pathways experiences accessible, memorable and transformative.

At the Green Cincinnati Hub, our new home base, the spirit of collaboration is alive and well. Thanks again to Tony Sansalone, whose generous gift of land laid the foundation for this vibrant space. With Cardinal Land Conservancy as the lead environmental partner, Civic Garden Center growing community gardens and community education, and Queen City Pollinator Project helping to integrate pollinator habitat into this 7+ acre campus, the Hub will quickly become far more than offices and storage: It will evolve into a living classroom where Crew teens learn how their actions can restore and protect nature in their own community.

Explorer
This semester, teens in our entry-level program, Explorer, have kayaked the Little Miami each Saturday in September thanks to our 12-year relationship with kayak livery Loveland Paddlesports. This month, our kids will tackle high-energy outdoor challenges at Camp Campbell Gard, followed by hiking the trails at Cincinnati Nature Center in November. To cap off the semester, they’ll lace up skates at Florence Y’alls in December—gliding, stumbling and laughing together in a celebration of the season.

Discoverer
Fall workshops are diving deeper into skill-building and teamwork. Mill Creek Alliance and Rivers Unlimited are once again leading our Canoe Club, where students refine paddling skills, explore watershed ecology and learn about restoration projects. At Devou Park, Sherman Butler is coaching mountain biking. Teens will also be rolling with one of the city’s most incredible, inclusive recreation communities, Skate Downtown Cincy, and climbing high at Climb Time Oakley—each adventure building confidence, trust, and joy.

Pathfinder
Our more advanced track for immersive learning in conservation and ecology us now underway at Cincinnati Nature Center, which is hosting a new eight-session series where students explore ecology, foraging and sustainable land management practices. These immersive experiences deepen understanding of the natural world while sparking curiosity about environmental careers.

Youth Leadership Team
Another exciting partnership continuing this fall is with UC’s Action Research Center, which is facilitating our emerging Youth Leadership Team through Dr. Heather Gerker — Adventure Crew parent, educator, and ARC member. Teens have been conducting preliminary research using Participatory Action Research methods and will help design and launch the next phase of this youth-driven leadership imitative next month.

Beyond programs, our partners help us create spaces of inspiration and community. We’re thrilled to return to Memorial Hall for our third annual Summits & Horizons (get your tickets now!). This year, for the first time, Downbound Books will be on hand to sell books by our keynote speaker, Dr. Carolyn Finney. These connections remind us that nature, culture and community are deeply intertwined—and that when partners come together, the impact grows exponentially.

To all our partners, we say thank you! Your generosity and creativity, mean so much more than adventures for hundreds of teens, giving them the tools to build confidence, resilience and a lifelong relationship with the outdoors. Together, we are making new possibilities real for young people across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. 

With appreciation, 

Libby Hunter