By St. Clair County Parks and Recreation Commission
St. Clair County Parks recently received a DTE Energy Foundation tree planting grant to improve the quality of life and the number and diversity of trees in local communities. A brief public ceremony and planting demonstration for the new trees will be held on Friday, December 8, at 10:00 a.m. at Columbus County Park. Meet at the lodge and bring your friends and family! Participants are encouraged to enjoy hot cocoa and cookies around the fire pit at the lodge after the ceremony and demonstration. Volunteers are also welcome to stay and continue helping with tree planting for the rest of the day. All are welcome and no tools or experience are required.
The DTE Energy Foundation in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program and ReLeaf Michigan have partnered on tree planting projects around the state. This grant program was initiated in 1996 as part of DTE Energy’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas reduction efforts (Energy Policy Act, 1992, rev. 2005). Funding is provided annually from the DTE Energy Foundation and is jointly administered by the nonprofit organization ReLeaf Michigan the DNR’s UCF program.
Kirsten Lyons, Park Naturalist-Invasive Species Specialist, said, “St. Clair County Parks is fortunate to have thriving natural areas in addition to excellent recreational features. The DTE Energy Foundation tree planting grant enables us to further enhance these community assets by providing more shade for visitors and more benefits to wildlife and the environment. Trees help clean the air, build resilience to climate change, and provide critical wildlife habitat. Everyone who loves trees is invited to participate in this celebration and we are grateful to DTE Energy Foundation and partners for providing this opportunity.”
Columbus County Park is located at 1670 Bauman Rd., Columbus MI 48063. Meet at 10 a.m. at the lodge. Free parking and restrooms are available at the lodge. For more information, contact Kirsten Lyons, klyons@stclaircounty.org, (810) 989-6317.
St. Clair County Parks can be reached at (810) 989-6960, visit St. Clair County Parks on the web at www.stclaircountyparks.org or like us on Facebook.
