The Greening of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan, United States · Nonprofit · Local · since 1989
Detroit nonprofit planting trees, training green-sector workers, and running youth conservation programs
About
The Greening of Detroit is a nonprofit that has planted trees in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park since 1989 through volunteer-led community forestry events. It operates the Walter Meyers Nursery, trains residents as Citizen Foresters, and runs adult workforce development and the Green Corps youth employment program. The organization also builds and maintains green spaces and stormwater projects on vacant land.
What they run
Volunteer-led tree planting events across Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.
Nursery growing trees for the organization's plantings.
Trains volunteers to lead planting teams and care for trees.
Summer youth employment and environmental education program.
The numbers
| Metric | Year | Value | Program | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trees planted | 2024 | 7,986 | Organization-wide | Self-reported | sourceProgram service description from the organization's 2024 IRS Form 990, as displayed on the Candid/GuideStar profile: 56 planting events in 2024 'resulting in 7,986 newly planted trees' (includes 1,000 distributed for private property) |
| Trees plantedto date | 2026 | 177,000 | Organization-wide | Self-reported | sourceOur Impact page headline '177,000+' trees planted since 1989 (body text on the same page says 'over 166,000'; the 2024 Form 990 says 'over 170,000'); accessed Nov 2026 |
| Volunteers engaged | 2024 | 4,233 | Organization-wide | Self-reported | sourceProgram service description from the organization's 2024 IRS Form 990, as displayed on the Candid/GuideStar profile: '4,233 volunteers' and 45 citizen foresters in 2024 |
Upcoming events
- Nardin Park Community Tree PlantingRegisterThu, Nov 12, 2026, 10:00 AM EST · Volunteer planting · Detroit
- McDuffy Park/Piety Hill Community Tree PlantingRegisterSat, Nov 14, 2026, 10:00 AM EST · Volunteer planting · Detroit
- Dexter-Linwood Community Tree PlantingRegisterThu, Nov 19, 2026, 10:00 AM EST · Volunteer planting · Detroit