🌳 Ohio Is Home To The Most Old-Growth Forests In The U.S.

Plus: 🏘️ Columbus Is Rolling Out A $500 Million Affordable Housing Plan.

Author

Chelsea Wiley
February 12, 2026

Sponsored by CCT 🎭
Experience the Kit Kat Klub like never before in Cabaret. Music, dance, and daring performances bring 1930s Berlin to life in an interactive show that challenges, entertains, and surprises. Running February 22 through March 1, you can get more information right here. 

Hello, Thursday! Chelsea, here.

Spring is almost here, which means it’s nearly time to swap winter layers for muddy boots and start exploring again. Ohio really comes alive this time of year, when the trails soften, the birds get louder, and the woods start waking up. If you’re looking for somewhere new to wander, you might not have to go far. Scattered across the state are rare old-growth forests filled with towering trees and ecosystems that predate modern Ohio. Here’s where to find them and why they’re worth the trip.

👍 Franklin Park Conservatory’s Kids’ Corner Is Back This Valentine’s Day
Franklin Park Conservatory is bringing back its indoor play space just in time for Valentine’s Day. The new Kids’ Corner offers interactive games, climb-and-play features, and a quieter, more accessible space for little explorers.

🏘️ Columbus Is Rolling Out A $500 Million Affordable Housing Plan. Here’s What That Means.
Columbus is moving forward with a historic $500 million affordable housing bond, the largest investment of its kind in city history. Here’s how the funding will be divided and what it could mean for neighborhoods across the city.

Headlines 📰 

👀 Netflix just dropped a new season of “Love is Blind,” and Columbus is all over it. From familiar faces to recognizable date spots, it’s hard not to watch it a little more closely this time around! (NBC4)

❤️ For 45 years, Sue Allen has been a docent, donor, and unofficial “gorilla mom” at the Columbus Zoo. Her story is a reminder of how one volunteer can help shape generations of conservation, one curious kid at a time. (Columbus Zoo)

📉 New data shows violent crime dropped sharply in 2025 across many of the nation’s largest cities (including Columbus), with homicides down nearly 20%. The numbers tell a more complicated story than the political talking points. (Axios Columbus)

🌤️ Weather: 35 and partly sunny

Sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council 🖼️
Explore Columbus through a new lens by checking out the arts-focused event calendar from Art Makes Columbus. Discover the events that bring our community together and experience art made authentically. For more info, head over to columbusmakesart.com.

Coming Up This Week 📆

Coming Up This Month 📆

🏒 The Best Things To Do This February In Columbus
Columbus is buzzing this February. Whether you’re into live music, sports, theater, winter hikes, or family-friendly fun, the city has plenty of ways to get out and make the most of the month.

Today's Photo 🤳

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☀️ Is anybody else starting to miss the vibrant greens of summer? I know it will be back before we know it, but I can’t wait.

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- Chelsea