A new home for growing environmental impact
A rendering of the new collaborative space. Green areas will become habitat for pollinators and migratory birds, as well as community gardens.
Back in May, I wrote that Adventure Crew was preparing for a big move. The wait is over — I can share the details! This August, Adventure Crew will relocate to a dynamic new home in the lower Fairview area of Clifton. We’ll be part of a budding environmental justice hub made possible through the generosity of property owner Tony Sansalone and the visionary leadership of Cardinal Land Conservancy.
Tony chose to permanently conserve this land by placing it in the care of Cardinal. His belief in the value of accessible nature in the heart of the city is helping ensure this campus becomes something extraordinary: A hub for environmental education, youth connection and collective action.
At the center of this vision is Cardinal’s executive director, Andy Dickerson, whose leadership made it possible for Adventure Crew, along with several other environmental organizations (with more details to come from Cardinal soon), to share this space.
Andy’s goal — one we are proud to be a part of — is to create a collaborative campus where shared values and aligned missions can multiply each organization’s impact. This transformation isn’t just about physical space; it’s about cultivating deeper youth engagement, advancing urban restoration efforts, creating more inclusive environmental learning, and nurturing the next generation of changemakers.
Andy and his extraordinary team at Cardinal are working with the city of Cincinnati to position this new campus as a dynamic extension of the Green Cincinnati Plan’s goals. Together, they are reimagining how land, community and environmental leadership come together for a healthier, more equitable city.
The site itself is just over 8 acres across several parcels at the corner of McMicken and Marshall Avenues. There’s an office building, an 8,000-square-foot warehouse (ample gear storage and indoor parking for our new 15-passenger van!), and 4.3 acres of land being restored as a nature preserve and migratory bird habitat. Our teens will help shape that process by assisting with invasive species removal, learning about land stewardship and experiencing firsthand how urban restoration creates ripple effects far beyond one piece of land.
We’ll be joined by longtime Paddlefest volunteer and all-round Adventure Crew advocate Jenny O’Donnell, co-founder of the Queen City Pollinator Project, who will bring their vital work in native habitat restoration and pollinator education to the new campus.
An open house is on the horizon — just let us get through Ohio River Paddlefest and the Bill Keating Jr. Great Ohio River Swim next month!
With gratitude,
Libby