This year, Greening of Detroit and Sierra Club developed a land and water stewardship curriculum designed to attract and educate younger populations. The topics covered are based on the information provided to our ambassador program participants. In September, they tested this curriculum in a focus group session where educators referenced even more best practices when engaging youth to improve the course. We expect to begin our youth-based practices in the spring of 2020.

In September, DFC partnered with St. Suzanne Cody Rouge  Community Resource Center and the Detroit Training Center on a depaving opportunity in northwest Detroit. The goal was to remove 7500 sq ft of the existing parking lot to improve onsite stormwater processing and reduce their DWSD Drainage Fee. Deconstruction and the first round of seeding are complete.

Following the spring 2020 landscape installation, DFC will release a publication that breaks down the implementation process of this project.

In September, LWWC launched a pilot downspout disconnection program, in partnership with the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance and the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center. Coalition members and ambassadors canvassed the community to encourage residents to combat local flooding by helping them to disconnect their downspouts. This project was coordinated by DFC, Sierra Club, and Friends of the Rouge. We are preparing to relaunch and expand this effort in the spring of 2020.

In the fall, we proved, once again, the powerful impact of hands-on activities when engaging residents. LWWC partnered with Oak Grove AME Church and Cristo Rey High School to host workshops for this year’s Rain Garden Demonstration Planting Series. During these three-part sessions, nearly 80 Detroit residents learned the basics of land and water stewardship through the hands-on building of a Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) Green Credit qualifying rain garden.

In September, DFC released A Detroit Property Owner’s Guide to Bioretention, a guide designed to educate commercial property owners on how to manage stormwater on non-residential properties and get DWSD drainage credit for it. Throughout the fall, DFC conducted a series of sold-out workshops engaging nearly 55 Detroit property owners. Based on popular demand, DFC will continue these workshops in 2020.

This year’s cohort was comprised of 20 dedicated nonprofit organizations and 10 resident advocates. Their engagement goal was to reach at least 10,000 Detroiters and facilitate quality interactions focused on land and water stewardship topics. To date, they’ve surpassed that benchmark by communicating with almost 14,000 people.

The Mini Grant Program provides an opportunity for all ambassadors to fund creative ideas that engage residents in an experiential manner, leading to a deeper understanding of the concepts of land and water stewardship. Over $28,000 was disbursed to fund this year’s work. Review two examples below.