Annual Mayor’s Greening Initiative adds 300 trees to Burton Heights neighborhood
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Volunteer registration is open for the annual fall edition of the Mayor’s Greening Initiative presented by ITC, Bank of America and the Arbor Day Foundation. This year, after a spring tree giveaway and planting of 150 trees, a total of 400 trees will be planted by community members in the Plaster Creek Park neighborhood on the city’s SE side.
This is a longstanding partnership between the City of Grand Rapids, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks (Friends), the City’s Forestry Division and local neighborhood associations to plant hundreds of trees in a different neighborhood each year with volunteers.
The all-ages, all abilities, family-friendly volunteer event has safety protocols in place to accommodate COVID-19 while providing a fun and worthy volunteer outdoor experience. The key dates include:
- Friday, October 8 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- Saturday, October 9 from 10:00am – 1:00pm and 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Everyone is invited to volunteer for a three-hour shift to aid in planting 250 new trees to the streets of the Burton Heights neighborhood. Additionally, 50 trees are available for free to any resident living in Grand Rapids on Saturday to pick up, take home, and plant to help in reaching the City’s tree canopy goal.
The fall tree planting event will kick off at Plaster Creek Family Park off of Buchanan with volunteers planting on both Friday and Saturday in the neighborhood surrounding the park near the SE side of Burton. Saturday morning, a ceremony will kick off the planting by honoring Angelica Velazquez, neighborhood advocate and local business owner.
“Tree equity is a matter of economic and health equity for all.”, said Stephanie Adams, executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, “Everyone should have access to the benefits of tree-lined streets because trees reduce crime, air pollution, and heat while also improving physical, emotional and mental health.”
The key to the success of the initiative is a collaboration with residents. Friends hosts numerous free events over the course of the year to get to know residents and works closely with businesses and community centers to learn about the neighborhood’s needs.
Trained arborists inspect possible planting sites to ensure that new trees won’t interfere with power lines, driveways or walkways. Then Friends of Grand Rapids Parks’ team then connects with residents to answer their questions and educate them about the life of the tree.
Not only does Friends offer the opportunity to plant these trees alongside its trained team, but the organization also guarantees watering. Friends’ youth Green Team waters all Mayor’s Greening Initiative trees every other week during the summer for two years.
In an effort to keep volunteers and community members safe amid COVID-19, Friends created volunteer shifts, each with a limited number of volunteers. All tools will be distributed to ensure they are properly sanitized, a 6-foot distance will be maintained for plantings, and advance virtual training will be given for volunteers to learn how to plant trees. All ages are invited to volunteer and plant trees. No experience is necessary, all tools are provided, and volunteers may also bring their own.
“Trees play a critical role in cleaning our air, reducing stormwater runoff, beautifying our neighborhoods, and lowering stress.” Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said. “I hope community members will join me again this year in making our city a greener, more sustainable community.”
The Mayor’s Greening Initiative engages the entire community in the city’s 40 percent tree canopy goal. The City Commission adopted a Green Grand Rapids amendment to the City’s master plan in 2011 to activate the social, economic, and environmental benefits of trees. Provisions to that amendment set sights on a 40 percent tree canopy goal for the city. The city’s current tree canopy cover is roughly 35 percent according to the 2015 Tree Canopy Survey.
This year’s event is made possible through the support of community partners: Bank of America, Arbor Day Foundation, ITC Holdings, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Johns Ball Zoo, Secchia Family Foundation, Wege Foundation, Farmers Insurance, Consumers Energy Foundation, Spectrum Health, Boxed Water, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Pioneer Construction, Meijer, Acrisure, Bartlett Tree Experts, Fishbeck, Bissell, ACH Hospitality, Irwin Seating, Adventure Credit Union, Macatawa Bank, and OST.
Volunteers may register online at friendsofgrparks.org/events. For more information on how to volunteer, contact Claire Fisher at Friends of Grand Rapids Parks at claire@friendsofgrparks.org or 616.288.7209. Link to register to volunteer.
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