Debunking the Social Media Science: Planting Male Only Trees and Spring Allergies
No, you’re not sneezing because of botanical sexism. If you spend any amount of time on social media, there’s a chance you’ve seen the videos about cities planting only male trees (called “botanical sexism”) that increase the pollen count in the spring, resulting in worse allergies for residents. We’ve seen these videos make the rounds […]
Reforesting Marywood with the Dominican Sisters
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, in collaboration with Arbor Day Foundation, planted 20 trees on the Dominican Sisters’ Marywood Campus in early June. This planting was part of an ongoing, collaborative urban reforestation project to turn their expansive lawn into a native oak savanna forest. Oak savannas were historically found throughout Michigan, but have become […]
3 Cool Facts About Oak Trees
Oak trees are some of our favorite trees here at Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. They contribute to local ecosystems, have really incredible and unique biology, and are beautiful, too. And how cute are their tiny, new spring leaves? Here are three quick facts about oak trees that will (hopefully) help you love them even […]
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks Plants 232 Trees, Secures $215,000 from Consumers Energy During ArborFest 2026
330 volunteers and dozens of community partners planted 232 trees in the Garfield Park neighborhood during Friends of Grand Rapids Parks’ (Friends) 11th Annual ArborFest, presented by Consumers Energy. During the event, Consumers Energy announced a $215,000 commitment over 2 years to support Friends’ initiative to restore the creek beds and habitat along the length […]
How We Select Sites for Planting Trees in Grand Rapids
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks plants trees in publicly-owned and managed land in Grand Rapids. While this occasionally includes public parks, more often than not, we plant trees in the parkway—the grass strip between the sidewalk and the road. We, and the City of Grand Rapids, care deeply about making sure every tree that’s planted […]
Increasing Tree Canopy Downtown in Partnership with DGRI
As part of an ongoing partnership with Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI) and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is pleased to extend our work planting trees in downtown for two more years. Over the next two years, we will plant, water, and maintain an additional 100 trees in the downtown […]
How to Leave Your Leaves this Fall (and When to Rake Them Up)
Leaving your fallen leaves, rather than ranking them up, offers natural benefits to your yard and the wildlife that calls it home! When you don’t rake your leaves, you’re giving invertebrates a place to nest, which provides backyard birds a food source. Plus, when the leaves break down, their nutrients go back into the soil. […]
WOOD TV8 | Neighborwoods 2025
The Shelley Irwin Show | Neighborwoods 2025
ArborFest unites neighbors to grow Grand Rapids’ tree canopy
