Causes: Environment, Environmental Beautification

Mission: The greening of detroit's mission is the sustainable growth of a healthy urban community through trees, green spaces, food, education, training and job opportunities.

Programs: Green infrastructure - in 2014, the greening, in collaboration with 34 community partners, hosted 50 tree planting events throughout detroit, resulting in the installation of 4,101 trees with the assistance of 4,041 volunteers. In 2014, the greening worked with the conservation fund and u-haul to plant a 2. 5 acre reforestation project in rouge park. We also expanded our work with detroit water and sewage department to reduce the effects of storm-water. This initiative involved the planting of expansive tree stands in areas most susceptible to storm-water runoff. These types of plantings not only provide good environmental benefits, they provide excellent long-term economic benefit and beautifies the neighborhoods. In addition, the greening is working to transform vacant land throughout the city by implementing several green infrastructure installations. Work has begun to transform 30-50 vacant lots on the lower eastside of detroit. We hope to beautify the neighborhood, create safer and cleaner feeling spaces, detour illegal dumping, and help raise property values.

workforce development - created in 2009, through a pathways out of poverty grant from the federal government, the greening's workforce development program is designed to provide unemployed detroiters with valuable job training and certification in the green industry. Participants in the greening's adult workforce program are trained for jobs in landscaping, forestry, and agriculture. The focus areas within the greening's program include: first aid and safety, landscape plan reading and estimating, turf installation and maintenance, plants and plantings, tree/shrub maintenance, irrigation systems, landscape equipment and safety (taught by osha-certified instructors) and chauffer's license training. In 2014, the training program added a new certification in the field of tree artisan. This is a huge focus around urban forestry, tree removal and stump grinding. Also, the program was officially certified as a federal apprenticeship program, from the u. S. Department of labor. Each training session is eight weeks and includes a half-day of job readiness skill-building such as resume writing, interviewing techniques, job hunting and follow-up tips. Case management services are offered throughout the training. Upon completion of the program, participants have the opportunity to take and pass the greening of detroit's landscape exam and the landscape industry certification through the state of michigan. 318 adult trainees have graduated from the greening's cohort sessions with certificates. The graduates have completed a 10-hour landscaping safety course conducted by miosha certified instructors. 88 percent of the trainees have been placed into jobs that pay on an average $11. 30 an hour. The greening of detroit has planted more than 81,000 trees throughout the city since 1989. As our scope of work grew, the organization created a summer youth workforce program to assist in the watering and maintenance of the trees. The green corps program has collectively employed more than 1500 detroit youth since its inception in 1998. By maintaining thousands of trees in 220 planting sites across the city, corps members are investing energy and time in their communities. These youth also beautify parks and participate in conservation projects that have meaningful and beneficial impacts for detroit residents. The greening of detroit has paid more than $2. 1 million dollars to city youth in employment wages since the program's inception in 1998. The ultimate goal of the youth employment program is to provide young people with opportunities for work, and to nurture a sense of environmental stewardship. In 2014, 80 green corps youth were employed by the greening of detroit, ten conservation projects were completed this summer (more than 50 conservation projects completed since 1998). Green corps employees watered and weeded more than 12,000 trees throughout the summer. Green corps students earned an hourly wage of $7. 50 an hour. These students are exposed to opportunities in green collar jobs, college readiness, work readiness, participating in college tours, leadership building, conflict resolution, and team building.

urban agriculture - in 2014, the urban agriculture department maintained 3 farm projects in the city on 5. 5 acres of city land producing 21,500 pounds of food. These farms served as training grounds for our adult urban agriculture apprenticeship program in which 6 community residents worked alongside our farmers for 30+ hours a week. The farms also conducted over 100 community classes, worked with 1,341 volunteers, conducted 23 school field trips, and 51 tours for both national and international guests. Over the last 10 years, greening has supported over 1,400 gardens in the city with basic resources. In 2014 alone, our build-a-garden program staff worked alongside the community to build 65 gardens throughout detroit, increasing food access to some of our most food insecure residents. After developing unique nutrition education stem curriculum for detroit public schools and supporting the creation of the school garden collaborative, we continue the work of educating hundreds of students each year through our grow and eat school nutrition and garden program.