How Friends of Grand Rapids Parks works in public parks and green spaces, and how we work with the Department of Parks and Recreation
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks (Friends) is fortunate enough to work closely with the City of Grand Rapids’ Parks & Recreation Department and their Forestry Division. The City permits tree plantings, conservation projects, and other work in Grand Rapids’ public green spaces. This collaboration allows us to connect community volunteers to projects and spaces they care about so we can steward them together. Everything we do is collaborative and involves years of multi-stage strategic planning.
Types of Forestry Projects We Do
Friends forestry volunteers and staff work alongside the City’s Forestry Division to grow and maintain our urban forest. We work almost exclusively on public property, including parks and tree lawns between sidewalks and roads (known as the right-of-way). Our team focuses on planting, watering, mulching and pruning young trees, supporting healthy growth and structural development.
When we prune trees, we require that a Friends Forestry staff member is present to guide the work and support if issues arise. These volunteers are specially trained and supervised to ensure pruning is done safely and correctly. The City does allow residents to prune branches less than 1” in diameter on their street trees for clearance without needing a permit, although we strongly encourage residents to take our pruning class to learn the best (and safest) methods for doing so.
Occasionally, some volunteers who have participated in extra training are asked to plant trees. These volunteers work closely with the staff at Friends to make sure trees are correctly and safely planted. All trees planted on public property in Grand Rapids require a planting permit from the City Forester, and the staff is aware of which planting locations have been approved.
Sometimes a young tree might need extra support like tree ties/staking or bracing. Our staff uses our professional judgement on what arboricultural techniques will be best for the tree and will either complete the work ourselves or with the help of our volunteers. Sometimes the City Forestry Division will ask for our assistance in removing old stakes and hardware from trees, and we work with our volunteers on which trees to remove them from.
Types of Conservation Projects We Do
Friends’ conservation volunteers improve the ecological health of public lands and waters within Grand Rapids. Primarily, we remove invasive plant species that displace native species. Occasionally, we plant native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees in highly degraded areas to jumpstart biodiversity, stabilize streambanks, and improve wildlife habitat. This is important because the limited natural areas are oasis for wildlife, especially migratory species like monarchs and birds during their hazardous journey.
The natural areas we manage are part of an overarching management plan that has been reviewed and approved by the City. Friends staff meets regularly with City staff to discuss and authorize any specific work performed on City-owned properties. Management areas, (sometimes referred to as zones) are selected by a process that considers:
- Current quality of the site (based on floristic assessments)
- Presence of rare or uncommon species (flora or fauna)
- Likelihood of sustainable success
- Continuity with other projects
- Community interest
In addition to public and private conservation workdays, Neighborhood Conservationists are essential to achieving our conservation goals. After completing courses on ecology, invasive species, working outdoors safely, and attending a workday, these volunteers choose a park to work in independently.
Within that park, Friends’ staff assigns them a zone in which they can work. Neighborhood Conservationists cannot work outside this zone without prior approval. Work is tracked in GIS to document change over time and demonstrate our collective effort to improve our city’s natural areas. Additionally, they sign an agreement to follow Friends’ policies and procedures because they are representing Friends in partnership with the City.
These trained and authorized volunteers have significantly increased the capacity to work by working outside scheduled workdays.
Projects We Don’t Do
Conservation
Friends’ conservation staff, volunteers, and Neighborhood Conservationists do not work outside the areas approved by Grand Rapids Parks & Recreation staff, including outside public natural areas, unless part of an authorized project (i.e. rain garden). Conservation volunteers also do not spray herbicide or use power tools, except cordless drills under supervision.
Forestry
Friends’ forestry staff and volunteers don’t work on mature trees that are likely to have extra safety considerations when pruning, or trees that have any trunks or branches within 15 feet of power lines. We also do not work on private property, although we teach classes that help residents learn to prune and care for the trees on their own property.
We do not plant single-species plantings and do not plant trees that are on the City’s banned species list or the State of Michigan’s banned species list.
Questions about our work? Please get in touch
We value our relationship with the City and strive to make sure that it remains a mutually-beneficial partnership through aligned priorities, goals, and communication!
If you want to learn more about how Friends and the City work together, have a question about a specific project or work zone, please reach out to us. If you have a forestry-related issue or concern, please call 311.
