Seeing Beyond the Trees: The Greening of Detroit expands its reach to tackle the beneficial use of rainwater runoff

Want to help Detroit? Group says plant trees first

Tree planting demonstration led by the Greening of Detroit
Credit User: The Greening of Detroit / facebook

When you bring up your mental image of big post-industrial American cities like Detroit, do you think of blight, decaying buildings, or empty lots?

You probably don’t think of trees or green infrastructure.

Dean Hay wants to change that. An engineer and landscape architect by trade, he is the Director of Green Infrastructure at Greening of Detroit. This group has planted more than 81,000 trees in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park since it began in 1989.

Hay says with the tremendous challenges Detroit is facing, it is still important to put energy and resources into planting trees.

“Trees are community builders. They help us have safe streets and reduce crime. The shades they produce reduce summer temperatures in these areas. Wherever there’s a large canopy area, the value of those houses increase,” says Hay.

If residents understood where their water went, and if the city could embrace a viable way to use its water more efficiently, Hay believes there would be long-term economic — as well as environmental — benefits.

To Learn More:

Click on to Seeing Beyond the Trees to download an article about The Greening of Detroit.