Outmigration to suburbs and counties beyond Cuyahoga has left the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, one of the area’s largest land holders, faced with once-proud congregations who struggle with aging infrastructure and stagnant, often declining, financial support. Many, including parishioners from Saint Ann and Saint Louis of Cleveland Heights and Christ the King and Saint Philomena of East Cleveland are exploring mergers in order to remain open.

How should the church best honor the memory but respond to realities of shifting demographics and a massive real estate portfolio? Read more.

The Sacred Space Spirituality Art Center will perform a multimedia production, Let Rachel Speak! honoring the centennial birthday of Rachel Carson, scientist and ecologist. Carson's sense of wonder and deep respect for the integrity of all creation, led to her writing Silent Spring. This historic book became the catalyst for the contemporary environmental movement and the creation of the EPA. The production will be staged at Cleveland Public Theatre.

The Niagra Frontier Botanical Society invites us to explore the primitive 500 acre Allenbergh Bog, owned by the Buffalo Audobon Society, and known for its Rhododendrons.  Wear shoes to get wet as there is no boardwalk. 

Directions: Take I-90 east to I-86 east.  Exit at Rt. 394 past Jamestown.  Head northeast to Napoli.  Turn left (north) on Rt. 10.  Park along east side of road (look for cars).  Map

More info on the bog

To register: Call Diane Police (H) 216-691-1929)  440-666-4870 (cell)

Native Plant Society of Northeast Ohio

SHIVERICK PRESERVE PLANT SURVEY, Hunting Valley, Cuyahoga County  Join us for our annual plant survey for the Western Reserve Land Conversancy as we explore this 133 acre mature forest in Hunting Valley the Conservancy is working to preserve, known for its wildflower laden ravines.

Directions: Take Rt. 271 to Rt. 322. Head east to Chagrin River Road. Head south to Fairmount Blvd. Property is at the southwest corner, with parking on the west side of the Chagrin River Road.  Map.

To register: call Judy Barnhart : (H) 440-286-9516 or (W) 440-564-9151

Mohican State Park and Hemlock Falls, Loudonville, Ohio-  The Mohican Native Plant Society hosts us as we explore the park with a rich  display of wildflowers including whroled pagonia. 

After lunch (bring your own) we'll visit Hemlock Falls, a sandstone ridge with 18 species of ferns. 

Directions: From Cleveland, take I-71 south, past Mansfield, to exit 165, which is SR 97, Bellville-Lexington exit.  Go east (left) abd follow SR 97 through Bellville and Butler.  This brings you right into Mohican St. Park, and the Memorial Shrine will be on yout right off SR 97.  It takes about 1 hour from the I-71 - I-271 split (just north of Medina) to the SR 97 exit.  From I-71 to Mohican Park is about 1/2 hour.  Map.

Bring a sack lunch, water and good shoes.  We'll visit selected sites in Mohican (depending on blooms), lunch at Mohican and then go to Hemlock Falls, which will be relatively short, but a very nice area with many ferns.  Degree of difficulty is about 2-3 (on a scale of 1-5).  It will be mostly on trails, but there will be some inclines. 

To register: Call Diane Police (H) 216-691-1929)  440-666-4870 (cell)

We've always appreciated the photography in The George Gund Foundation's annual reports. Each year the foundation commissions a prominent artist to produce a portfolio of photographs on a grantmaking theme. The recently released 2005 report has pictures of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by Geoffrey James that are especially amazing. You haven't "seen" the park until you see these pictures.

To download a PDF file of the annual report, go here.

The Scenic Rivers Act provides three categories for river classification: wild, scenic and recreational. Rivers are classified and designated based on a number of criteria, including the stream's length, adjacent forest cover, biological characteristics, water quality, present use and natural conditions.

With the sprawl of development in Northeast Ohio, it's amazing to find segments of rivers that qualify for wild or scenic designation. Here are the ones that still retain much of their pristine quality:

Richard Louv, author of The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, will discuss how vital children's connections with everyday nature are to their physical, emotional, and spiritual health, their learning and creativity, and how their relationship with nature will shape cities, regions, and the environmental movement.

City Club reservations

Sacred places of Northeast Ohio

Certain natural places have universal, timeless appeal. They evoke feelings of awe, peacefulness, or spiritual connection with the Earth. Many were revered by Native Americans. You walk into these places and know immediately that you are treading on sacred ground.

Every region is blessed with such places, although in Northeast Ohio they may not be as obvious as they are in some parts of the country. We have the magnificent Lake Erie, but we have no great mountain as our bioregional center of gravity (the way Mt. Shasta is a bioregional symbol for Northern California). Instead, we have many smaller places, subtler places.

They are worth getting to know. Below are some nominations for the sacred places of Northeast Ohio. Several involve types of erosion-resistant stone — Berea sandstone, cap rock of many of the waterfalls of the region, and Sharon conglomerate, the pebbly stone which forms dramatic ledges and knobs. In addition, river gorges are often special places.

You can help add to this list by telling us about your favorite sacred places: Post a comment and include what makes these places special. Feel free to include a photo, too. And don't forget the special places of city environments. Sometimes a place right in your neighborhood can take on a sacred aura — maybe an old concert hall that reverberates with echoes of Latin jazz, a brick-lined alley, the sculpture garden at St. Herman's of Alaska in Ohio City, the Old Arcade with the sun reflecting off gilt ornamentation...