Working no building up Hazel park's Tree Canopy.
Shawn Path (L) with his family next to a Sweetgum Tree, volunteering at the tree planting event at Karam Park in Hazel Park, Michigan. Photo by Genevieve Fox.

Volunteers gathered last Saturday, shovels in hand, to plant trees in Hazel Park’s Karam Park and Felker Field. This effort is part of a long-term partnership with ReLeaf Michigan, a non-profit tree organization, and MDNR Urban and Community Forestry, to build the city’s tree canopy.

The city has been hosting tree-planting events with ReLeaf Michigan for about eight years, according to Sareen Papakhian, director of recreation for Hazel Park. 

“I’m always trying to look for tree plantings as they hit environmental points, social points, and they’re fun for the community,” Papakhian said. 

The city’s master plan calls for improving tree cover and shade in Karam Park, while plans for Felker Field include tree planting and landscaping for enhanced appearance. 

Currently, the city has roughly 5000 trees. Superintendent of the city’s public works Thomas Jones said that while the city is beginning to increase its tree canopy through the parks with ReLeaf Michigan, with more coordination and funding, he hopes the city can begin to add street trees too. 

Working no building up Hazel park's Tree Canopy.
PHOTO-SAREEN PAPAKHIAN: Sareen Papakhian, Director of Recreation for Hazel Park, holding a Tulip Tree at the event at Karam Park. Photo by Genevieve Fox. 

The city has lost many trees over the past several decades due to disease, Papakhian said, particularly Dutch Elm disease, a fungus that prevents water from traveling down to the tree’s crown, or leaves and branches. 

Trees provide many benefits in city parks like improving soil to help with flooding, which is an issue in a few of the parks, Papakhian said. 

Trees also help remove pollutants from the air, Papakhian, which is important for Hazel Park because of its location near freeways and industry. This improves the residents’ health and other plants and animals living in the area. 

Local resident and volunteer Shawn Path said over the last 20 years, he’s seen a lot of changes in the city.

Path said that tree planting events are a good way to teach kids about community and how to volunteer and give back. It’s the second time he’s brought his kids to participate in a tree-planting event in the city.

“This is right around the time of my oldest son’s birthday, so we wanted to do a volunteer project for his birthday,” Path said, “ and he helped raise money for ReLeaf, and they donated their time to help plant some trees.” 

Every city could use more trees, Path said. 

Meg Nicholson, a project forester at ReLeaf Michigan, said the city is a great partner. 

Nicholson said a lot goes into tree planting events – like volunteer organizing, getting the word out, picking out the trees and site visits. “We always come to a site two or three times before planting,” she said. 

Marvin Pettway, lead project forester with ReLeaf Michigan, said the organization prioritizes planting native trees. But urban conditions aren’t always friendly to them. 

Working no building up Hazel park's Tree Canopy.

“We’ve got asphalt, we’ve got playground equipment, we mow the lawns, we have nonnative species, we have bulldozers that do landscaping terraforming the soil,” Pettway said. 

“Instead, we’re looking at the soil conditions, the temperature regime throughout the year, and picking out trees that will handle those factors.”

City Council member Alissa Sullivan has lived in Hazel Park for 25 years. She’s noticed the city has become more walkable.  

“When I moved in, I never saw people riding bikes or walking their dogs, and now I see it every day,” Sullivan said. She said she’s excited to see the habitat, shelter, and shade an enhanced tree canopy brings.

Sullivan said many of the community’s trees are old and too big for the spaces they were planted in 50 to 70 years ago. The city’s Department of Public Works works with arborists to trim and remove old trees that cause damage to sidewalks and replace them with young and native trees, she said. 

When removing old trees, residents have the option if they want to replace it with another tree, Jones said. 

Jones said that the city tries to plant trees where people are willing to care for them and ensure they grow healthy. 

“I hope we keep doing tree plantings,” Sullivan said. “The more trees we have, the more beautiful the space looks.” 

Two years ago at Karam Park, there was a memorial tree planting for a young man who was a victim of murder, Sullivan said. She’s glad the man’s family will now have even more beauty to experience when they come to remember him. 

“Nature is such a resource for everybody,” Sullivan said. “I’m grateful for the people who come here from other communities to help our community be more beautiful.”

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Genevieve Fox is an award-winning journalist from Detroit. She recently graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's in journalism with a concentration on environment, science and health policy. Previously, she was a reporter with Great Lakes Echo and WKAR radio. She loves spending time outdoors and reading a good book. Click here to see more of her work.