2024 Grant Awardees
School & Community Habitat Grant
Volunteers installing at the Farm's SCHG project
The Farm at Trinity Health: Native Prairie for Community Health and Youth Ed.
The Farm at Trinity Health has a 1.4 acre Native Demonstration Prairie that is a space for community education about native ecosystems. In this project they expanded these efforts to include more public engagement and native plantings. Multiple establishment methods have been used in the Native Demonstration Prairie.
Risdon Park: Pollinator Garden
In 2024 volunteers from the City of Saline applied to install a pollinator garden in Risdon Park. Located on the South side of Saline, MI Risdon Park is a City park located on S. Ann Arbor Street. This project successfully turned a corner of this little slice of paradise into a vibrant key-hole style garden.
The keyhole style pollinator habitat garden at Risdon Park. The center is for access to the rest of the garden.
WCCD 2025 Seasonal Staff Walker Whitehouse with the new SCHG sign at EMU Children's Institute
EMU Children's Institute: Rain Play Garden
The EMU Children’s Institute successfully utilized the SCHG to create an interactive Rain Play Garden. Supported by partner Feral Flora, the project mobilized over 40 community volunteers and students to dig and install "mini-raingardens" directly into the nature playground. This hands-on initiative exists as an educational space that inspires environmental curiosity while improving the resilience of the school's landscape.
Volunteers working together at Ann Arbor STEAM school
Ann Arbor STEAM: Native Pollinator Garden
Ann Arbor STEAM Northside really shined with it's mission to engage its students in project based learning with this school garden planting. The School leveraged the School and Community Habitat Grant to develop an incredible project at their school. Utilizing class participation, they applied for and installed a native pollinator garden on school grounds. They were engaged with real problems like erosion, enhanced plant diversity, and put on a showcase of the diverse native plants found in Southeast Michigan.
Mill Creek Middle School: Native Landscape Educational Habitat
Mill Creek Middle school students and volunteers came together to install native plants in May and June 2024. The project created monarch habitat, provided experiential learning, and expanded environmental education at Mill Creek Middle in Dexter. Although there was some challenges with clay soil, there was a good volunteer and student turn out to bring this project to life.
MCMS students in front of their School and Community Habitat sign
Lyndon Township - coming soon!
Volunteers planting native plugs in front of Lyndon Township hall.