Donate
Facebook Instagram Linkedin

Explore Your Parks: Skate & Build Demo

A diverse group of people, including children and adults, gather at an outdoor skate park with colorful graffiti. They hold skateboards, engaging in conversation and enjoying a bright, partly cloudy day. Trees and parked cars are in the background.

At our 2024 skateboarding & concrete building workshop, we had over 75 participants join us to enjoy exploring Clemente DIY Skatepark, located in Roberto Clemente Park. This Explore Your Parks workshop was in partnership with Premier and Chill Foundation. The skating lessons and concrete build demo were led by Chris Gray, Art Director at Premier […]

Explore Your Parks: Intro to Bouldering

A group of people gathers outdoors to watch a man demonstrate climbing on a colorful mural-covered bouldering wall. The mural features large painted arms and hands. Trees and grass are visible in the background.

As part of the Explore Your Parks 2024 workshop series, we partnered with the Grand Rapids Boulder Project and Terra Firma Bouldering Co. to host two bouldering workshops at their Climbing for All Festival on August 17, 2024. Nearly 70 individuals of all ages learned introductory tips and techniques to explore bouldering at Grand Rapids […]

Meet Our 2024 Youth Green Team!

Two young cyclists wearing bright yellow safety vests and helmets ride along a tree-lined path. The cyclist in front is waving and smiling. The scene is set in a park with green grass and trees.

  Our Youth Green Team is a part of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks’ seasonal crew, helping us water and maintain trees from June through August. Our 2024 Green Team consists of nine fantastic individuals with ages ranging between 14 to 21 years old. Each day, the crew takes off from our office on their […]

Community Forest Conversation Recap

Last Wednesday, we partnered with Amplify GR to host the Community Forest Conversation. Moderated by Latesha Lipscomb (Amplify GR) and featuring Jasmine Brown (PhD student at MSU) and Tiawanna Ezell (Urban League of West Michigan), this conversation focused on the historical relationships between African Americans, forests, and green spaces. Our speakers discussed what has harmed […]

Our New Board Member: John McCrackin

We are excited to announce that John McCrackin has joined our board of directors!  John has held senior project and design engineering positions at MillerKnoll, Steelcase, Aspen Surgical, Irwin Seating Company, and Stryker in their surgical instruments division. During his time at Steelcase, he was awarded 7 patents, and at MillerKnoll, he developed award-winning products. […]

How to Plant a Container Tree

A newly planted tree sapling surrounded by mulch is in the center of a grassy area. A metal shovel with a red handle lies on the grass nearby.

Container trees are easy to plant, with minimal transplant shock and quick establishment. They are perfect for homeowners and landscaping on a budget. We provide container trees for free at many events throughout the spring and fall to Grand Rapids residents who wish to plant a tree on their property. Follow the instructions below to […]

Tree Denials: Why ‘No’ is Always an Option

A tree with its roots wrapped in burlap lies on its side on the grass next to a sidewalk. Cars are parked along the street, and traffic lights are visible in the background.

Written by Becky Pobst, Director of Forestry While planning for our two largest planting events of the year, ArborFest in the Spring and Neighborwoods in the Fall, we focus on our most important step: finding out who doesn’t want a tree. Something we hear often in our work is, “Who wouldn’t want a tree?!” It’s […]

Meet Our New Board Members!

We’re excited to introduce you to two new faces at Friends: Kal and Lauren! Meet our new Community Forester, Kal McLane! Originally from the middle of the mitten, Kal has loved living in Grand Rapids for the last three years. Kal enjoys hiking with their senior dogs, foraging, and doing pretty much any outdoor activity. […]

Get Social with Friends!
Facebook Instagram Linkedin