What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is a balancing act: meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

ConServe Ohio

Conserve Ohio is a call to action for park staff and visitors to practice sustainability, every day, across ODNR properties.

Our Vision

To employ simple, sensible changes in park operations and visitor experiences. We will preserve and protect the beauty and health of our natural resources while operating more efficiently.

Our Pillars

• Education & Outreach
• Energy Efficiency
• Waste Reduction
• Increased Habitat & Resource Protection
• Transportation
• Water Conservation
• Construction

The Next Steps

This plan identifies more than 100 actions and goals to guide park staff and measure progress. Staff must be empowered to lead the charge to achieve environmental, social, and financial sustainability.

Tracking Progress

Criteria have been established to equitably measure certification goals and accomplishments for each park.

As each state park employs sustainable practices, they will be recognized for their efforts by becoming a certified ConServe location. With each completed action item, the parks earn higher levels of certification.

There are four levels of certification: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Each year, park reviews and on-site assessments will determine every park’s level of certifications and celebrate their sustainability achievements.

Ohio State Parks reported their sustainable practices in place at the end of the 2022 to assess how we are performing and determine our future direction. Our first annual Sustainability Performance Report provides highlights of this assessment, recognizes the first parks awarded a ConServe Ohio certification, and identifies opportunities for improvement in 2023 and beyond.

Benefits of Sustainability

Ohio State Parks anticipates many immediate and long-term benefits from these sustainability efforts:

• Cleaner air and water
• Healthy, vibrant, and diverse plants and wildlife
• Save time and money
• Better informed staff and visitors can practice sustainable habits and healthier lifestyles elsewhere in their lives.

What You Can Do

There are unlimited opportunities for park visitors, young and old, to participate in ConServe Ohio.

• Enjoy the parks! It’s good for your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

• Become a volunteer, and help pick up litter, remove weeds, and plant native vegetation.

• Join a Friends group.

• Use recycling bins, and encourage others to do the same.

• Carry out trash and recycling when bins are not available.

• Bring a reusable water bottle.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.