The Civic Garden Center wants your network to be as lush as their gorgeous gardens. That’s why they’re hosting a Young Professional Walk and Talk June 6, from 6-8pm at the Parkers Woods and Buttercup Valley Nature Preserve.

The Civic Garden Center (CGC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to build community through gardening, education, and environmental stewardship. They were founded in 1942, and is the only organization of its kind in the regional area. Using horticulture, which is the art of garden cultivation and management, they host classes, house a horticultural library, and several gardens for visitors to enjoy at no cost.

They’ve even cultivated an outdoor compost classroom titled the Green Learning Station, furthering their mission to support the development and success of over 50 community and children’s gardens throughout the city. All buildings and grounds are available for rental events and meetings of any kind.

Jen Bakes, the volunteer coordinator at the center, created the Young Professional Organization, specifically for CGC. “The group was started in September and I started in mid-August so it was one of the first projects I worked on,” says Bakes. “It is made up of people from ages 21 to 45 generally and because there are multiple organizations in the area that have groups like this, I decided to start one as well.”

Elaborating more on the event, she says, “We have meetings every month, usually encompassing a social, educational, or volunteer activity in order to engage young professionals in the culture of our center and to educate them on what we aim to do, which is support the botanical nature of the city.” The organization strives to bring together those who have an interest in the environment in order to educate them on possibly pursuing a career geared towards the field.

Bakes says these meetings are usually held at the center but have also been held at places like Taft Ale House and a couple other different gardens around the city. Members can also enjoy various lectures around the city as well.

At this month’s event on June 6, horticulturist Greg Torres will be taking attendees on a tour around Buttercup Valley Nature Preserve in Northside giving them a chance to connect with each other and learn more about CGC.

“Most of the people we reach out to don’t have a background in the field so that is one of the reasons why we highlight it so much,” Bakes explains. “We want to make people more aware of how great it is.”

The Walk and Talk will be held on Wednesday June 6 from 6-8pm at Parkers Woods and Buttercup Valley Nature Preserve, located at Butter Cup Valley, Cincinnati, OH 45223.

To learn more about the Civic Garden Center, visit http://www.civicgardencenter.org/
and sign up on Facebook if you would like to join the party, https://www.facebook.com/events/237996806750550