Over the holidays…we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio. Today…we hear a story from Nargis Rahman.

The state health department hoped to register 500 doulas in its doula registry by 2028. This fall, it had more than a thousand. That includes doulas across the state with various specialties and most are able to accept payment through Medicaid.

Nargis spoke to Dawn Shanafelt the Director of Maternal and Infant Health for the Department of Health and Human Services about the registry and efforts to export birthing assistance services in Michigan.

Outro: This is just part of Nargis Rahman’s interview with Dawn Shanafelt from the Department of Health and Human Services. You can her the full story at wdet.org.

The city’s 30 foot tall Kwanzaa Kinara join Detroit’s official Hannukah Menorah and Christmas tree in Campus Martius Friday, Dec. 26. This first day of Kwanzaa celebrates the principle Umoja or Unity.

If you missed the City’s Kinara lighting, there are Kwanzaa celebrations throughout the city until the holiday ends on New Year’s Day. The Redford Branch of the Detroit Public Library has festivities tomorrow, including arts & crafts and African dance and drumming.

For more information visit detroitpubliclibrary.org/events.

The Charles H Wright Museum of African American History will host Kwanzaa events through Monday. Festivities include performances, speakers, family-friendly activities, a vendor marketplace and candle lightings.

Each day’s schedule is a little different. Visit thewright.com/events/kwanzaa for more information.

Source Booksellers is hosting a virtual celebration of cooperative economics on the 29th with author Ben Passmore, who will talk about his book “Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance.”

The event is at 5pm. To register look for Source Booksellers on Eventbrite.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:

What happens to the Campus Martius tree after the holidays?

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, real trees are a renewable and recyclable resource, and there are more than 4,000 local Christmas tree recycling programs across the country.

Recycled trees can be used in a number of ways, from making mulch to burning the wood for energy. Up to 30 million live trees are sold every year in the U.S.

According to the company Mid-Michigan Recycling, if all those Christmas trees were recycled and turned into electricity, it could power 650,000 homes for a month.

The options

The Downtown Detroit Partnership, which is in charge of the Christmas Tree display at Campus Marius,  sent this statement:

“The Norway spruce that the city chooses each year is near the end of its life cycle. For every Michigan tree harvested, three new ones are planted. Each tree is recycled in a number of ways, whether into mulch or lumber, and then reused in Detroit parks, donated to local schools, or set aside for special cultural projects.”

Tree recycling of Christmas past

Mid-Michigan Recycling was once hired to recycle the tree.

Aaron Hess is the company’s operations manager.

“So the tree was cut up and put into a dumpster. Unfortunately, whoever loaded it got like some street barriers and ornaments and some other things kind of mixed into it, into the loads as it was delivered,” Hess said.

Hess says that because the tree had too many contaminants, namely, tree ornaments and tinsel, they were not able to do the job a second year in a row.

“We worked with the crews to clean it up and get the tree recycled, but it was a little extra work that we can’t normally do, uh, at least regularly.”

Mid-Michigan Recycling is the exclusive wood supplier for the Genesee Power Station, which is an energy plant that produces green, renewable energy from wood waste.

The facility receives most of its trees from cities with curbside pick-up in their neighborhoods. But people can also drop off trees at any time at their sites in Livonia or Macomb Township for free.

Hess says sending the trees to his company is a good option because there are not a lot of alternatives to salvage pine trees after the holidays.

“A Christmas tree doesn’t have the greatest value as a mulch product,” Hess says. “The needles and the bark content of a Christmas tree is pretty high compared to the, you know, to the wood itself.  And then the pine needles just don’t make a good mulch.”

More creative uses

But there are other uses for an old Christmas tree. Amy Start is the Executive Director of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association. She says one option is to use the tree as a different kind of decoration in your own backyard.

“You can put it outside and put like different kinds of crumbs and bird seed and things like that on it.” Start says. “And then just watch the birds come throughout the winter. It’s a great spot for them to perch, and you can really get some good entertainment out of it.”

Start says some have even used old evergreens for erosion control on beaches or as fish habitats in lakes. She even suggests contacting local farms who may be collecting trees.

“Goats love Christmas trees. So, check with a farm like that. You can also check with the Christmas tree farm itself. Some of them will have a program where they take the tree back, and then they can chip it up for you as well,” Start says.

How to get your tree recycled

Most cities have some sort of Christmas tree pick-up. Detroit is one of those cities. For two weeks after the new year, Detroit will collect Christmas trees placed on the curb on the neighborhood’s normal garbage collection days.

And those who miss that window can take their tree to a citizen drop-off site—locations can be found on Detroit’s Department of Public Works website.

But residents should be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, and tinsel from the trees first, as they can make them ineligible for recycling.

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.

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More CuriosiD

Pontiac launches new Down Payment Assistance Program

The City of Pontiac unveiled its Down Payment Assistance Program this week, an initiative aimed at expanding homeownership opportunities for first-time buyers and encouraging wealth and investment in Pontiac neighborhoods. City leaders are inviting renters to apply for this first-of-its-kind program.

To qualify:

• Your prospective home must be in Pontiac.
• Applicants must be first-time homebuyers or individuals who have not acquired a home in the past three years.
• You must complete a homebuyer education session through the organization National Faith Homebuyers and receive a certificate.
• You must work with the homebuyer organization to meet HUD and program requirements.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 313-255-9500.

Additional headlines for Friday, November 21, 2025

Detroit breaks ground on new affordable housing near Brewster Wheeler

The City of Detroit broke ground this month on four new buildings that will bring 211 units of affordable and permanent supportive housing to long-vacant land next to the Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center.

The units will have rents based on 30 to 80 percent of the area median household income.

Three of the buildings will include 53 units that received 9 percent Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the State of Michigan. They will offer a mix of one- and two-bedroom units starting at less than $500 a month.

The fourth building will be a 52-unit permanent supportive housing development, with each unit supported by project-based vouchers that keep residents paying no more than 30 percent of their income for rent.

Completion of all projects is scheduled for 2027.
More information: https://detroitmi.gov/news/work-begins-80m-development-bringing-211-new-units-affordable-permanent-supportive-housing-brush 

Sports

NFL
The Detroit Lions face the New York Giants on Sunday as they try to bounce back from a tough loss to the Eagles. The Lions are currently third in the NFC North. The game will be held at Ford Field, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m.

NBA
The Pistons have won 11 games in a row. They’ll look to keep the streak alive as they face the Bucs at the Fiserv Forum. Tipoff is Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

NHL
The Red Wings sit at the top of the Atlantic Division as they prepare to face the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

The Rink at Campus Martius opens for the season

The holiday season brings the return of The Rink at Campus Martius Park, which opens to the public starting tomorrow. From November 22 through March 1, visitors can experience what USA Today named the No. 1 Best Ice Skating Rink in the country in its 2024 ranking.

For hours and additional details, visit: https://downtowndetroit.org/experience-downtown/things-to-do/the-rink/

Local shopping for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday

DER will be off for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, but local businesses will be out in force for the holiday shopping weekend. Online tourism site Visit Detroit has compiled a list of local shops to explore, including sneaker boutiques, floral shops, art galleries, and more.

To see the full list, visit: https://visitdetroit.com

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.