Donate
Facebook Instagram Linkedin

Identifying Beneficial & Harmful Insects

Learning how to identify beneficial and harmful insects can help you understand their role in our ecosystem, develop proper management systems, and prevent unnecessary harm to plant life and beneficial insects. Let’s dig in! Beneficial Insects 1. Ground Beetles  – Carabidae There are about 2,000 different species of ground beetles in North America and 450 […]

Grant Received from The Wege Foundation to Support Partnership with Miigwech

Four people sit at a picnic table in a park, chatting and organizing fabric pieces. The table is covered with various materials. Trees with autumn leaves are visible in the background, and sunlight filters through the branches.

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is thrilled to announce the award of a grant from The Wege Foundation for The Restoring Native American Foodways in the Owashtanong (Grand River) Valley, Michigan. This new project for Friends is growing out of existing work related to conservation and natural resource management in partnership with Miigwech.  The project […]

Statement Regarding John Ball Zoo

Statement Regarding John Ball ZooBoard of Directors, Friends of Grand Rapids ParksWednesday, December 4, 2024 Friends of Grand Rapids Parks strongly encourages the Kent County Board of Commissioners to enforce the current operating agreement the county has with the John Ball Zoo and the 2016 millage voters passed. We encourage our friends and community to submit […]

The Emma Cole Project: Creating a Botanical Inventory of Grand Rapids Parks

Three people study plants in a lush forest. One person in a gray hoodie takes notes in a notebook. A second person, with a backpack, crouches while the third examines a plant. The group is surrounded by green foliage.

This past summer, a team from Calvin University partnered with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to set out to continue the legacy of an inspiring local botanist, Emma Jane Cole. Students Erin Taylor, Charlie Baumeister, and Grace Langeland—under the guidance of Dr. Garrett Crow and Dr. David Warners—conducted botanical inventories at twelve local parks, documenting […]

Getting Ready to Vote: Q&A with 2024 Candidates!

As our community gets ready to vote on Tuesday, November 5th, we wanted to learn more about mayoral and city commissioner candidates and their plans for Grand Rapids’ parks, trees, and trails. Friends of Grand Rapids Parks does not endorse any candidate or campaign. Below, you will find links to Q&As from candidates. You’ll learn […]

200 Trees Planted at Neighborwoods 2024

A diverse group of people, including adults and children, smile while holding shovels around a freshly dug spot in a park. Theyre dressed casually, some in hats and sunglasses, suggesting a community gardening or tree-planting event.

On September 27th & 28th, 250+ volunteers joined us at Neighborwoods to plant 200 more trees in the MLK Park Neighborhood. At the beginning of the year, there were over 700 empty spaces for trees in the MLK Park Neighborhood. With the help of these volunteers, 450+ trees have been planted in these spaces during […]

Get Social with Friends!
Facebook Instagram Linkedin