Detroit Tree Equity Partnership marks 25,000 trees in the ground
- City of Detroit, Greening of Detroit and DTE are working to plant 75,000 trees across the city in five years, starting in October 2022.
- Detroit Tree Equity Partnership also has a goal to train Detroit residents and place them in the tree care industry.
With a goal of planting 75,000 trees between 2022 and 2027, the City of Detroit, Greening of Detroit, and DTE celebrated reaching 25,000 trees in the ground with a special planting on October 28. The group is organized as the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership.
The ceremony, held at Detroit’s Bailey Park in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood, featured Senator Debbie Stabenow, Mayor Mike Duggan, DTE Chairman Jerry Norcia, Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation Founder Katrina Watkins and Greening of Detroit President Lionel Bradford.
“Five or six years ago if I was talking about trees, people would be asking me to clear out the dead trees in the neighborhoods,” said Mayor Duggan. “More than 7,000 dead trees have been removed and now 25,000 new trees are in the ground. Detroit residents are now asking me where they can get the NEW trees.”
“As chair of the US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, I have worked to bring $1.5 billion into urban communities from the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow. “In Michigan, Greening of Detroit is the forestry leader and there are now 11 additional projects that are now being funded.”
“Since 2022, our coalition has planted 25,000 trees, trained 348 Detroit residents, and employed 48 of those graduates as tree artisans,” said Lionel Bradford, president and CEO of the Greening of Detroit. “As Mayor Duggan says, we are truly transforming blight into beauty in Detroit.”
“These 25,000 trees are improving lives by capturing carbon, bettering our climate and cooling temperatures in the heat of the summer,” said Jerry Norcia, CEO of DTE Energy. “The trees we’ve planted today in this park will help cool the children who play here in the future with lots of shade.”
“Neighborhoods like McDougall-Hunt have a lack of tree and park equity,” said Katrina Watkins, founder, Bagley Park Neighborhood Development Corporation. “We are inspiring our residents today by celebrating the planting of the milestone 25,000th tree right here in our neighborhood.”
As a part of the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership, Detroit Future City worked closely with Arboretum Detroit and Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation to create a replicable model for engaging residents and stakeholders in the development of neighborhood - scale forestry plans.
"We know that having a healthy, well- maintained tree canopy improves quality of life for Detroiters, and contributes to climate resiliency, health, and economic equity. Detroit Future City's effort was focused on deeply engaging residents to identify the places where they wanted to see trees planted in their neighborhoods," said Anika Goss, CEO of Detroit Future City.
About The Greening of Detroit
Since its founding, The Greening of Detroit has been committed to transforming Detroit’s landscape through reforestation efforts, workforce development programs, and environmental education initiatives. This year’s planting effort was driven by hundreds of dedicated volunteers, local community members, and partner organizations who share the vision of a greener, healthier Detroit. For more information, visit greeningofdetroit.org.