Detroit

Jennifer Broome, Vice President of Philanthropy

Jennifer Broome, vice president of philanthropy, raises a glass to toast the participants and local hosts while at Detroit Vineyards, the last stop on the Deep Roots Detroit Sustainability Tour.
Jennifer Broome, vice president of philanthropy, raises a glass to toast the participants and local hosts while at Detroit Vineyards, the last stop on the Deep Roots Detroit Sustainability Tour. Credit: Lindsey Putz.

IN JUNE, American Forests partnered with DTE Energy to host the “Deep Roots Detroit” Sustainability Tour for select attendees of the Sustainable Brands conference. American Forests was a major sponsor of the conference, which was held in Detroit, a city where American Forests has deep roots. In fact, American Forests has been working in Detroit since 2006 to improve the city’s urban canopy and leverage trees to improve equity across the city.

The tour included three stops, each a unique example of community-based sustainability efforts. The first stop was the El Moore Lodge and Gardens, an example of sustainable urban living. This circa-1848 building has been sustainably restored and is now home to residential apartments and guest suites, as well as beautiful gardens and an aviary.

The second stop on the tour was an innovative tree nursery that American Forests created on vacant land. This pioneering model for reclaiming vacant urban spaces means more tree canopy for Detroiters, a sustainable source of trees for the city, and rewarding careers for local residents.

The final stop was a visit to Detroit Vineyards, the only urban winery in the country, which makes superior wines in the heart of Detroit using grapes grown within the city’s limits. Not only is this winery using sustain- able practices, it’s located in a refurbished ice cream factory, and trains locals to plant and harvest grapes on their property, providing an additional income stream for Detroiters.

American Forests received many accolades for hosting this unique tour as part of the conference.

“I just loved the idea of getting out into Detroit to see sustainable efforts helping to relaunch this city,” said one participant. “The diversity of stops that we visited made me feel like I was seeing the real Detroit, instead of just the conference area.”

Connecting good corporate citizens with the citizens of Detroit is just one example of how American Forests’ roots run deep.

*Attending #VERGE19? Help American Forests plant trees in Oakland on Tuesday 10/22/2019 at 8:30-11:30AM (Sign-up here: http://bit.ly/2qddjnE)