CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Parks announced Tuesday that an anonymous donor has contributed $1.8 million to accelerate efforts to remove invasive plants and restore forestland at French Park in Amberley Village. Officials said the gift will support a five-year restoration project, create a new staff position to oversee work and seed a Conservation Fund to scale similar efforts across the park system.
Scope of the restoration
Parks leaders said restoration began earlier this year on 22 acres of French Park and that the new funds will expand treatment across the park’s forested land. French Park totals 282 acres, of which 228 acres are forest.
- Remove invasive plants across the forested areas over the next three years
- Plant native trees and shrubs and restore walking trails
- Create and fund a park staff position to manage work for five years
At a Sept. 15 press conference, Cincinnati Parks and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation described the contribution as the system’s largest forest renewal effort in nearly a century. Parks Director Jason Barron, in a statement distributed by the agency, called the donation a “game changer” and said teams will work to “completely restore these woods to the way they ought to be.”
“We are going to completely restore these woods to the way they ought to be,” Parks Director Jason Barron said in a press release.
Invasive species and local work
Officials noted that the park’s invasive vegetation has been a long-standing issue. Volunteers and partner groups such as Friends of French Park have assisted in cutting back species like privet, which was introduced from Asia in the 1800s for hedges and later spread aggressively. The park system says some invasive stems can grow to significant size and crowd out native plants important for wildlife and trail safety.
The donation will fund a three-year concentrated removal effort with park staff and volunteers planting native species and providing ongoing maintenance. The Cincinnati Parks Foundation also plans to launch a Conservation Fund with a goal of raising an additional $2 million over five years to expand conservation and forest-renewal projects across other parks.
| Item | Amount / Acreage |
|---|---|
| French Park total acreage | 282 acres |
| Forested acreage | 228 acres |
| Initial restoration area started in 2026 | 22 acres |
| Anonymous donation announced | $1.8 million |
| Conservation Fund goal | $2 million |
Local implications and next steps
Park officials and foundation leaders framed the gift as both a practical and educational investment. The foundation said it plans to establish French Park as a “living conservation laboratory” where forest-management practices can be demonstrated and replicated at other Cincinnati parks. That could influence volunteer recruitment, trail improvements and long-term maintenance planning for the city’s park canopy.
Jennifer Hafner Spieser, president and CEO of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, said in the release that the initial gift will transform French Park “for generations to come” and create a lasting legacy for the community. Foundation and park officials intend to use the five-year period to measure the work’s effectiveness and refine techniques for future projects.
For Cincinnati residents, the work means increased volunteer opportunities, improved trail conditions and long-term investment in native habitat within one of the region’s larger urban green spaces. Officials did not release a detailed timeline for every phase of the work beyond the three- and five-year commitments outlined in the announcement, but said restoration, planting and maintenance are slated to begin immediately where work is already underway.
The Parks Foundation will launch its fundraising campaign in coming months as it seeks the additional $2 million for broader conservation initiatives across Cincinnati’s parks.
