American Forests, the nation’s oldest conservation nonprofit, says Detroit has planted 25,000 trees since launching a local tree equity partnership in 2021 —part of a broader plan to plant 75,000 by 2027.

Benita Hussein, chief program officer of American Forests’ Tree Equity Program, says the initiative targets neighborhoods with fewer trees and higher exposure to extreme heat and respiratory illness.

“We’re talking about planting and maintaining trees in places where they historically have not existed,” Hussein said.

The program has been supported by federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, which directed $1.5 billion to urban forestry initiatives nationwide. American Forests received $50 million of that funding, which Hussein says is being deployed in cities across the Midwest, including Detroit.

However, recent changes by the Trump administration have led to the cancellation of several federal environmental justice grants, including those increasing urban forestry in the U.S.

Hussein acknowledged the “turbulence” coming from the federal level but said the organization remains committed to its work.

“We are certainly keeping an eye on all of the different sort of guidance and turbulence… and we’re in it with all of our partners,” she said.

The Detroit partnership includes local conservation groups like the Greening of Detroit. Hussein says the effort also includes training 500 Detroiters in tree care and maintenance to ensure the long-term health of the city’s growing canopy.

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:

“How did Ann Arbor get its name?”

Ann Arbor is known for its tree-lined streets and vibrant university-town feel. But how did it get its name? One WDET listener wanted to find out.

Rhea Walden, a longtime WDET listener and social worker in metro Detroit, spent years living and studying in the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor area. She says the question had been on her mind for decades. So, she wrote to CuriosiD.

The short answer

There are a couple theories about how Ann Arbor got its name.

The most widely accepted version — and the one Walden remembers reading — is that the town was named after the founders’ wives.

“Every time I went to Ann Arbor, I would always wonder, how did this place get its name?” Walden said. “I looked it up, and I swear it said that it was named after one of the founders’ wives. So when the question popped back up in my head some years later, I went to go look it up again — it was not there.”

To get an answer, we turned to Grace Shackman, a longtime Ann Arbor historian and writer for the Ann Arbor Observer, who confirmed the theory.

Meet the founders

Ann Arbor was officially founded in 1824 by two men: John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. But despite their place in the city’s history, Shackman says they weren’t community visionaries.

“These two guys met on the way here. They also knew that…the next year the Erie Canal was going to open. In which time it would be a lot easier for people to get here,” she said. “So they decided to pool their money, and they each, you know, equal to what they could put in, but bought this land.”

Allen and Rumsey were land speculators, looking to turn a profit. They purchased 640 acres of land along the Huron River and planned to subdivide it into smaller plots to sell to new settlers.

To make the town more appealing — and valuable — they lobbied to have it named the Washtenaw County seat.

“They got it because they offered free land to the government,” Shackman said. “And they offered to build a courthouse and a jail, and also a bridge across the Huron River.”

So why ‘Ann Arbor’?

According to Shackman, the naming of the city has a mix of romance and marketing behind it.

“John Allen was married to Ann Allen, and Rumsey — the woman that he was running away with — was Mary Ann Rumsey. So they decided on ‘Ann’s’… Ann Arbor.”

The word “Arbor” was likely a nod to the oak trees that once dominated the landscape, she said.

And then they left…

Despite founding the city, neither of Ann Arbor’s founders stayed very long.

“These two guys were just…it was just for money. And neither of them stayed very long,” Shackman said. “John Allen, he just… he was a wheeler-dealer, and he just kept moving. So he ended up, I think, on the West Coast, and then he died.”

Mary Ann Rumsey also disappeared from town history. And Ann Allen? She didn’t stay either.

“She was from Virginia, and she liked Virginia ‘civilized’ life better,” Shackman said. “When [Allen] left, she just went back to Virginia.”

The name (and city) endured

The city’s original spelling was “Annarbour,” recorded in Wayne County on May 25, 1824. Over time, it became the spelling we know today.

Despite its mercenary beginnings, Ann Arbor grew into a thriving and beloved city:

• 1837: The University of Michigan relocated to Ann Arbor, transforming it into an academic center.
• It became a hub for German immigrants, artists, musicians, and eventually a global destination for progressive ideas and innovation.

And through all that, the name continued.

“Even if the founders weren’t in it for the long haul, it’s kind of nice that the name stuck,” Rhea said.

We want to hear from you! 

Have a question about southeast Michigan’s history or culture?
Send it our way at wdet.org/curiosid, or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer.

More from CuriosiD:

• Does Gen Z know who Bob Seger is?
• What is the oldest bar in Detroit?
• What happened to the Cobo Hall Christmas Carnival?

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Southeast Michigan is experiencing a rollercoaster of temperatures so far this month. 

Meteorologist Steve Considine with the National Weather Service says March is known for its unpredictable weather, but this year temperatures have fluctuated from well below freezing to highs near 70 degrees within the week.

“March is a month where we tend to see a lot of ups and downs. We’re trying to get into spring, but there are times where winter takes a while to fully get out of here,” Considine said. 

Temperatures will continue to climb through the rest of the workweek, reaching the mid-60s on Friday. 

However, the warm spell comes with a caveat. A deepening low-pressure system across the central U.S. will drive strong winds into the region, with gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour possible on Saturday. A chance of rain follows Saturday night before cooler air moves in on Sunday.

While metro Detroit is getting a taste of spring, winter’s grip isn’t fully gone just yet.

A public service announcement featuring late Detroit civil rights attorney Bill Goodman is going viral on social media again.

The video was originally produced in 2021 by the Detroit and Michigan chapters of the National Lawyers Guild. It features Goodman and longtime legal partner Denise Heberle sharing blunt legal advice for protesters, political demonstrators or anyone confronted by law enforcement: to “shut the f*** up” until an attorney is present.

The video is gaining renewed attention on platforms like TikTok as conversations about civil rights rise in response to vast changes to federal policies and agencies take place under President Donald Trump. 

Goodman died in November 2023, after spending decades fighting racial injustice, constitutional violations, and systemic inequities. He co-founded the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice in Detroit and worked on landmark cases, including representing Attica Prison inmates, victims of the Flint water crisis, and those wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case.

Detroit civil rights attorney Jack Schultz was one of many young attorneys mentored by Goodman. He says Goodman “had this way of making things plain, no nonsense, and funny — but always effective.

“I love him a lot, and I just miss him,” he said.

The video, which contains strong language, can be viewed here. 

Southeast Michigan’s trees are facing growing threats from disease, pests, and climate change.

Zach Lacombe with Davey Tree Expert Company in Canton, says tree health issues are on the rise, affecting both residential and urban landscapes. Fungal infections, extreme weather, and environmental stressors are making trees more vulnerable than ever.

Common Tree Diseases in Michigan

Local trees are particularly susceptible to three major infections:

• Apple Scab – A fungal disease that weakens apple and crabapple trees, causing leaf loss and reducing their ability to absorb sunlight.
• Oak Wilt – A deadly vascular infection that spreads through beetles and root grafts, cutting off water and nutrients to oak trees.
• Dutch Elm Disease (DED) – A persistent fungal disease that has devastated American elm populations in Michigan for over a century.

“These infections often go unnoticed until it’s too late,” says Lacombe. He says thinning foliage, premature leaf drop, and unusual discoloration can all be warning signs of tree disease. 

Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are also increasing the spread of tree pests and diseases, according to Lacombe. 

Milder winters mean fewer insect die-offs, allowing pests like the picnic beetle (which spreads oak wilt) to thrive. Stronger storms and heavy rainfall can cause tree root damage, increased fungal growth, and weakened trees. Road salt runoff forces trees to release moisture from their leaves, leading to drought stress and weakened defenses.

Preventative care and early intervention can go a long way, Lacombe advises.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has officially been recognized by the Old Growth Forest Network, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and preserving ancient forests across the United States.

The designation applies to 32 acres of old growth forest within Humbug Marsh, a 405-acre site located just south of the refuge’s Trenton, Michigan visitor center. The marsh, which is considered the last undeveloped mile of the Detroit River along the U.S. mainland, contains trees estimated to be 300 years old.

“We know through historical records that the Humbug Marsh property [around 32 acres of it] has been relatively untouched for about 300 years,” said park ranger Alex Gilford.

The Old Growth Forest Network aims to recognize at least one accessible old growth forest per county in Michigan. 

Gilford says visitors to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge should look for two types of trees.

“Two tree species that are most notable when you go into that area anyone can see are our oak trees, white oak trees, and our shagbark hickory trees. These are really big diameter trees, they’re really old,” he said. 

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge spans from Ecorse to Toledo, managing over 6,200 acres.