DETROIT – The city of Detroit is now a year into its massive initiative to plant 75,000 trees.
This initiative recently received a $3 million award to help fund their mission, and this fall, they put another 5,500 trees into the ground.
“I’m really excited about the impact that this program is going to have on our neighborhoods,” said Sydney Calloway. “Particularly for our resident health as well as infrastructure. Especially when it comes to the way we’ve been dealing with flooding lately. The erosion of the ground is due to the lack of root infrastructure. The older the roots, the stronger our foundations are.”
We know that they (Trees) help human health,” said Environmental Advocate Taylor James. “They help to filter out particulate matter like PM2.5, and they help to just make the air cleaner and safer.”
Detroit’s reforestation manager says the Detroit tree equity partnership isn’t limited to one area.
“Those trees are being planted along our corridors like here along West 6 Mile Road,” said City of Detroit Reforestation Manager Whitney Smith. “We’re also doing neighborhood plantings. The city still has our residential tree-planting request, so if you want to request one tree in front of your home, we will fulfill that need as well.”
They’re using data like asthma rates to guide them. And now that the first year is out the way, they are hoping to ramp up planting. That’s where the lead partner, The Greening of Detroit, comes in.
“We are planting eight to 10 species that we plant on this project,” said Greening of Detroit President Lionel Bradford.
Bradford said they aren’t just doing the digging.
“We’re knocking on doors working with community groups and engaging and making sure residents understand the importance of trees and want them to have a part in what’s going on,” Bradford said.
That’s just one part of the initiative, with another significant aspect is planting opportunity.
“Through this initiative, we’re training 300 adults throughout Detroit and placing those folks into jobs,” Bradford said. “So, that’s one good thing about putting these 75,000 trees into the ground. We have an opportunity to create jobs.”
The overall goal is to make Detroit a better place to live.
“The more trees we can get in the ground, the more sustainable we can make Detroit,” Bradford said.
This fall, the tree planting will be focused on East Warren Avenue, West McNichols, and Joy Road.
Click here if you want your neighborhood included in the tree-planting process.