Volunteer Registration is FULL! ➡️ Visit our events page for more volunteer opportunities!
Celebrate the start of our spring planting season at ArborFest, presented by ITC! This marks our 10th annual tree-planting event in partnership with the Mayor’s Greening Initiative and the City of Grand Rapids.
This year, we are planting 200 trees in the Boston Square and Oakdale neighborhoods on the southeast side of Grand Rapids in two days!
Volunteer Registration is Full!
🌳 Friday, April 25:
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (100 trees)
🌳 Saturday, April 26:
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (100 trees)
🌳 Get a free container tree (open for everyone!)
Saturday, April 26, 11am-1:30pm
🕐 Aim to arrive 10-15 minutes early for a quicker check-in process.
🌳 Location: River City Scholars Charter Academy, parking available in lot and on-street.
ℹ️ Need assistance? Volunteers should reach out to keely@friendsofgrparks.org with questions ahead of time, or visit the registration table at the event day-of!
Hey, neighbor! Did you recently receive one of our flyers or postcards, but you don’t want a tree or you’re not feeling certain about it? No problem at all!
Contact our Forestry Team as soon as possible!
✉️ info@friendsofgrparks.org OR 📞 call 616-288-7209
(Make sure to include your name, phone number, and address)
Of course, our goal is to increase our city’s tree canopy. This will ensure more Grand Rapids residents will have equal access to the benefits that trees provide us. However, if a tree will cause stress, that is NOT a benefit!
Learn more about why ‘no’ is always an option for our trees:
Oakdale & Boston Square Neighbors:
Want to request an extra tree? Contact our Forestry Team: info@friendsofgrparks OR 616-288-7209
(Make sure to include your name, phone number, and address)
Don’t live in these neighborhoods?
You can submit a request through our free Green Your Block program! If your neighborhood has a great location for 1+ trees, we love partnering with neighbors to bring their vision to life!
Bartlett Tree Experts
MSU Federal Credit Union
AHC Hospitality
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is an equal opportunity provider. This program is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Urban & Community Forestry Program. ArborFest and Neighborwoods 2025 are in partnership with the Mayor’s Greening Initiative, City of Grand Rapids, Boston Square Neighborhood Association, and Oakdale Neighbors.
We’re deeply grateful to the MLK Park Neighborhood and King Park Neighbors for their incredible support. This year’s success shows what we can achieve together:
Special thanks to Tiffany Fant (Mo Photography), Yummy in the Tummy for community celebration lunch, Wimee from PBS, and our friends at Miigwich who blessed the land and shared traditional corn soup with all participants.
Make an impact in 2025 by sponsoring our two community tree plantings; ArborFest in the spring and Neighborwoods in the fall. Your sponsorship will directly support 400 trees being planted in the Boston Square and Oakdale neighborhoods.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and benefits, visit the link below!
Local media highlighted Arborfest 2024’s unprecedented turnout and impact.
Sign up for updates and see how your support transforms green spaces every day.
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization. EIN 26-1406547
