The City of Warren has planted its first micro forest as part of an effort to increase the tree canopy in the city.   

Warren Mayor Lori Stone says the community rallied for more greenery in the city.

“Warren only had about 19% tree canopy, some of the lowest in Metro Detroit and Macomb County. And so, when I started out, we did a listening tour to really look at what our communities’ expectations were, and environmental sustainability was a priority,” she says.

Stone says residents want leadership to grow the city’s tree canopy, restore natural habitats, and protect green spaces.

One of those projects was a micro forest created at the Warren Community Center’s courtyard. The project received $30,000 from Green Macomb.

“I’m excited to tout that we planted our first microforest at Julius Park Circle, which is over 5,000 plants from different canopy levels, forest levels, and that was in partnership with a 4-H students, a community organization,” she shares.

Stone says Warren’s Department of Public Works also plants roughly 400 trees on easements annually, additional to the city distributing 200 saplings as part of our Arbor Day and Earth Day initiatives.

“It’s very important in order to grow tree canopy, in order to create those green spaces, … and provide natural spaces to encourage that local residents are also planting trees and providing those opportunities,” she explains.

Warren is also a part of the Rain to Roots program with Center Line, Sterling Heights, supported by the DTE Foundation, to help homeowners install rain gardens, rain barrels and native plants for stormwater management. 

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Officials in Oakland County and Pontiac are celebrating the completion of a $3 million renovation of Pontiac Oaks Park, turning a once-neglected city park into a cleaner, more welcoming place for families to enjoy. 

The park, previously called Hawthorne Park, had problems with illegal trash dumping and run down facilities. Oakland County Parks Planning Supervisor Simon Rivers explains that the county worked closely with local residents to find out what improvements the community really wanted. 

“There was a lot of trash and illegal dumping,” Rivers said. “The fishing pier was in bad shape, and the playground was falling apart in several spots.” 

The county partnered with the city to restore the area. Pontiac will keep ownership of the park, while the county takes over maintenance and construction of new facilities. 

Rivers mentions that upgrades include fixing up the popular fishing pier, renovating the bathrooms, adding new playground equipment, and expanding the disc golf course. 

“We’re making improvements that the community actually wants to see, instead of trying to do things we think are best,” Rivers said. 

Pontiac Oaks is one of several parks being renewed across the county. 

Rivers also says there are plans to improve parks in Southfield, Madison Heights, and Waterford.

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.