Trails will be temporarily closed between Red Lock Trailhead and Brandywine Creek from Monday, March 3, to Friday, May 2, 2025 for installation of a new Brandywine Creek culvert. No detour is available.
More
This traveling photo exhibition and program series explores the rich relationships that people of color have with nature in Northeast Ohio, past and present. Nature is all around us: in our communities, gardens, parks, and yards. It nourishes and teaches us throughout our lives.
In nature, we can . . .
Grow healthy foods
Nurture our spirits
Become inspired
Express our creativity
Collect scientific data
Explore different careers
Learn something new
Enjoy friends-and-family time
Build a sense of community
Heal our land, water, and selves
Nature Includes You is a project of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in collaboration with Museum of Creative Human Art (MOCHA) and Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. A total of 15 organizations contributed images of people from diverse Northeast Ohio communities. The show highlights the work of more than 20 photographers.
Funding provided by a grant from the National Park Service.
As an autistic person, landscape designer Maci Nelson reflects on how natural spaces help her relax and “unmask.”
The Nature Includes You photo exhibition will travel throughout Northeast Ohio for two years. We have started to take bookings. Check back regularly for calendar updates.
Community Life Collaborative’s Family Life Center in Chagrin Falls – March 29 to May 25, 2025, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm, except May 3–10
Joy Park Community Center in Akron – April 1–30, 2025. Mondays to Thursdays, 10:30 am–8 pm and Fridays, 10:30 am–4 pm
The Gallery across from Boston Store (near Boston Mill Visitor Center) at Cuyahoga Valley National Park – May 31 through September 3, 2025, Fridays to Sundays, 11 am–3 pm
The Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek Reservation in Parma – September and October, daily, 9:30 am–5 pm
Want to host this show in your community space? Email us at cuva_info@nps.gov. We have three versions: a gallery-style one with panels that hang on the wall, a tradeshow-style one with pull-up banners that sit on the floor, and a digital show that runs as a silent loop. We can adapt the show for large or small indoor spaces. There is no fee. Preference is given to public venues that serve diverse audiences.
We are also creating five online galleries, organized by theme, that include additional images. The links will appear at the bottom of this page.
Programs
We anticipate one or two programs per month during the two-year tour of Nature Includes You. Please check back for calendar updates.
Birdwatching near Red Lock in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
National Park Service / Rick Santich
Meet the Photographers
Below is a list of photographers whose work appears on the exhibit panels of the full-sized show. Additional photographers are credited in the digital galleries below. For the professional photographers, we have provided links to their online profiles. This list includes staff and volunteers from the contributing organizations. For some historical images, the photographer’s name has been lost to time.
The following organizations have provided images for use in our traveling exhibit and digital galleries.
Akron Beacon Journal
Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Public Library
Cleveland Public Theatre
Cleveland State University / Michael Schwartz Library
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
Journey On Yonder
Museum of Creative Human Art
National Wildlife Federation
Syatt
University of Akron Archives
Western Reserve Historical Society
Western Reserve Land Conservancy
Meet the Team
Curators
Dr. Hazim Abdullah-Smith
Mary Grodek
Arrye Rosser
Michael C. Russell II
Joe Valencic
Antwoine Washington
Scholars
Dr. Hazim Abdullah-Smith, Mellon Fellow, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Dr. Liz Piatt, Interim Dean, University College, Kent State University
Dr. Mark Souther, Professor of History, Cleveland State University