# The Greening of Detroit

> Detroit nonprofit planting trees, training green-sector workers, and running youth conservation programs

Source: https://treerm.org/org/the-greening-of-detroit · Updated 2026-11-07 · Data license: CC BY 4.0 (https://treerm.org/about#license)

## Facts

- Type: Nonprofit
- Scope: Local
- Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Founded: 1989
- Website: https://greeningofdetroit.com
- Volunteer sign-up: https://greeningofdetroit.com/volunteer
- Donate: https://greeningofdetroit.com/donate1
- Events calendar: https://greeningofdetroit.com/calendar
- Countries where they plant: United States
- Activity types: Urban forestry (primary), Nurseries & seedlings, Education & advocacy
- Trees on record: 177,000 (larger of latest cumulative figure and sum of annual figures; trees planted or distributed)

## 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.

## Programs

- **Community tree planting** — Urban forestry (1989–present): Volunteer-led tree planting events across Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.
- **Walter Meyers Nursery** — Nurseries & seedlings: Nursery growing trees for the organization's plantings.
- **Citizen Forester training** — Education & advocacy: Trains volunteers to lead planting teams and care for trees.
- **Green Corps** — Education & advocacy: Summer youth employment and environmental education program.

## Metrics

> Note: The Greening of Detroit gives three cumulative totals for trees planted since 1989: 177,000+ in the headline of its Our Impact page, 166,000 in the body text of the same page, and 170,000 in its 2024 Form 990. The 2024 figures of 7,986 trees planted (including 1,000 distributed for private property) and 4,233 volunteers come from that Form 990 as displayed on Candid/GuideStar.

| Metric | Year | Value | Cumulative | Program | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---:|---|---|---|---|
| Trees planted | 2024 | 7,986 | no (that year) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/31-0036036) Program 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 planted | 2026 | 177,000 | yes (to date) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://greeningofdetroit.com/our-impact) Our 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 | no (that year) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/31-0036036) Program 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 |

Confidence: self-reported is the organization's own published figure; independently verified means a third party confirmed it; estimated means TreeRM derived it and the note says how.

## Upcoming events

- 2026-11-12 — Nardin Park Community Tree Planting (Volunteer planting), Detroit — register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995998969649?aff=oddtdtcreator — https://treerm.org/events/the-greening-of-detroit/nardin-park-community-tree-planting-2026-11-12.md
- 2026-11-14 — McDuffy Park/Piety Hill Community Tree Planting (Volunteer planting), Detroit — register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1996000034835?aff=oddtdtcreator — https://treerm.org/events/the-greening-of-detroit/mcduffy-park-piety-hill-community-tree-planting-2026-11-14.md
- 2026-11-19 — Dexter-Linwood Community Tree Planting (Volunteer planting), Detroit — register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1996001246459?aff=oddtdtcreator — https://treerm.org/events/the-greening-of-detroit/dexter-linwood-community-tree-planting-2026-11-19.md

## Links

- instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreeningofdetroit/
- facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thegreeningofdetroit/
- youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUymnxBJbfrPpkiu0k-tuNQ

JSON: https://treerm.org/api/v1/organizations/the-greening-of-detroit