The Greening of Detroit
 | |
| Formation | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit resource agency |
| Location | |
| Services | Reforestation, Urban forestry, Urban farming, Job training and workforce development, Environmental education |
President | Rebecca Salimen Witt |
VP of Operations | Lionel Bradford |
| Affiliations | Bank of America |
Budget | USD $3.8 million (approximate) |
| Website | greeningofdetroit |
The Greening of Detroit is an urban forestry program and non-profit partner in The Detroit Partnership; it was founded in 1989.[1] In addition to planting trees in the Detroit area, the organization engages in urban forestry education, job training, and other community programs.[2] In 2011, Greening planted 12,156 trees in Detroit,[3] and as of June 2013 has planted over 81,000 trees in the city since the organization's inception.[1][4] The organization is involved in urban farming, working to maintain and improve urban farms in Detroit.[5] Greening is also working to improve air quality.[6] Its annual operating budget is approximately $3.8 million.[7] Rebecca Salimen Witt is the president of The Greening of Detroit.[5][8]
They've gotten themselves involved with Marathon Petroleum in a highly controversial tree planting for toxic land remediation program.[9]
Programs
The organization works to coordinate and utilize vacant lots in Detroit for urban gardens and tree nurseries.[10] Produce grown in the gardens is used to provide Detroit citizens with food, and trees grown in the converted vacant lots are replanted in the city.[10] The conversion of the vacant lots also improves their appearance and serves to reduce vandalism.[10][11]
At Romanowski Park in Detroit, The Greening of Detroit has partnered with area schools to educate students about nutrition and gardening during the growing season.[10]
GreenWorks
The organization's GreenWorks workforce development program was started in 2006, in partnership with LaSalle Bank.[12] This job training program was developed "to provide unemployed Detroiters with valuable job training and certification in the green industry."[12] This partnership has continued with Bank of America (which acquired LaSalle Bank in 2007),[13] which provided a $200,000 grant for the GreenWorks program in 2012.[12] The GreenWorks program provides training for jobs in landscaping, agriculture and forestry, and upon completion of the program, participants are afforded an opportunity to take the Landscape Industry Certification exam.[12]
Green Corps
The Greening of Detroit employs 200 students in their Green Corps program every summer. The employees are picked from a pool of 2,000 prospects, and the jobs pay minimum wage.[5] In the process of their work to maintain various plantings in Detroit, Green Corps employees also learn about urban ecology.[10]
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b "Green Infrastructure". The Greening of Detroit. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ Gallaher, John (Sep 9, 2012). "Greening of Detroit expands beyond urban forestry". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved Nov 7, 2013.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Inspiring the next Detroit: 2012 a year in review" (PDF). The Greening of Detroit. p. 4. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ Block, Dustin (June 7, 2013). "A low-cost fix for Detroit drainage problems? Planting trees". MLive. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
- ^ a b c Timm, Jane C. (September 10, 2013). "Urban farming takes hold in blighted Motor City". MSNBC. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ Collaboration of Efforts to Improve Southwest Detroit’s Environment by Michelle Abd’Elaziz
- ^ "Listing for The Greening of Detroit". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ "Contact us". The Greening of Detroit. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140523/METRO01/305230037/0/metro08/Southwest-Detroit-tree-planting-plan-fuels-toxic-relationship
- ^ a b c d e Louv, Richard (2012). The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books. pp. 203-204. ISBN 1616201509
- ^ This was stated in the book The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder, and was sourced therein from The Greening of Detroit's website
- ^ a b c d "Greening of Detroit Partners with Bank of America to Put Unemployed Detroiters to Work in Green Industry Jobs". dBusiness. September 24, 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Bank of America completes LaSalle acquisition". Columbus Business Journal. October 1, 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)
Further reading
- The Unreal Estate Guide to Detroit - Andrew Herscher. pp. 70–71.
- (Associated Press) (June 8, 2009). "Nonprofit group Greening of Detroit works to restore canopy in Motor City". Associated Press. Retrieved 6 November 2013.