Buckle up, Grand Rapids, because our city is about to get a whole lot cooler! Courtesy of the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Services’ $1.5 billion competitive grant program, we just secured $5 million in grant funding to increase the city of Grand Rapids’ tree canopy.
What is the overall goal for our newfound funding? We will be working with communities and organizations all across the city of Grand Rapids in order to tackle the following:
- Extreme heat
- Climate change
- Easier access to the outdoors
- Invasive species control plan
Within the past several years, cities have experienced extreme heat conditions and, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has been instrumental in creating traction around lessening the rising heat temperatures. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), having more trees in town can cool temperatures down by 11-19 degrees Fahrenheit. With the city’s goal of hitting a 40% tree canopy, we met up with city officials and community leaders at a press conference to discuss how we are working to put our $5 million grant to work through our tree-planting events throughout the year.
In addition to the community leaders who have been involved in this process, we teamed up with the Community Collaboration on Climate Change (C4) to make this happen. With local funders chipping in on our tree-planting initiative, we are expecting 1:1 matches thanks to C4. With our funding and help from fantastic volunteers and residents, we will be planting 10,000 trees across the city. In addition to the 10,000 trees we plant, we are gifting 5,000 more to individuals within the Grand Rapids community.
Kareem Scales, the Board Co-President of C4 says, “This grant, a beacon of hope, will not only provide crucial funding but also serve as a catalyst for education, awareness, and transformative employment and entrepreneurial opportunities as we continue our journey toward a more inclusive, equitable, and environmentally just future.”
Our very own, Executive Director of FGRP, Stacy Bare says, “We have an incredible opportunity with this grant, to correct a historic injustice in Grand Rapids by planting 15,000 trees and committing to habitat restoration in the more than 600 acres of forest that we have in this city for better control of invasive species. It’s not just stormwater management, it’s not just air quality improvement, it adds up to real and documented physical and mental health benefits for the next 100 years in Grand Rapids. That is what we are doing when we plant trees.”
As we gear up to utilize this funding, we celebrate our annual Neighborwoods initiative also aimed at creating more green space across West Michigan. The trees planted will provide cleaner air and cooler temperatures. In addition to these impressive tree benefits, the trees will be taken care of for at least two years by our youth Green Team. Attendees can check us out at Roberto Clemente Park on Friday, September 29th, and Saturday, September 30th for the tree planting event of the year. Volunteers can expect:
- A free community lunch for the first 200 people who show up
- Additional free trees available for residents (150 to be exact)
- Provided tools (all are welcome to bring their own as well)
- Free t-shirt
No experience is necessary, and volunteers can sign up for the following positions:
- Tree Planting: Plant trees in Roberto Clemente Park or the surrounding neighborhood(s) (great way to keep families and group volunteers together!)
- Clean-Up: Clear the registration area, put away tools/supplies, and assist FGRP staff.
- Site Leader: Help lead a group of volunteers in planting trees during the MGI event. Training required.
We also would not be able to create green spaces without the support of our sponsors: Fifth Third Bank, Wege Foundation, Arbor Day Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, UFPI Industries, Consumers Energy, ITC, Farmers Insurance, Verizon, PSG Grand Rapids, Reyes Coca-Cola, ASM – these folks make it all happen!
We are so grateful for the amazing grant funding and community partnerships that we have been able to foster and tap into. For more information on Neighborwoods, contact Keely Moriarty (keely@friendsofgrparks.org), or visit the official Neighborwoods events page:https://friendsofgrparks.org/fgrp-events/neighborwoods/. Let’s get planting!
