Mom’s green bean casserole, buttery mashed potatoes, sweet yams and pumpkin pie. Many families will gather around a turkey today to celebrate Thanksgiving, with the perception of love and unity between Indigenous Peoples and white settlers in the U.S. But the history of the holiday is one rooted in genocide, where colonizers murdered local Indigenous […]
Posted inGuides
ASK PLANET DETROIT: How do I start a garden on a vacant lot?
Dear Planet Detroit, I’m interested in starting a vegetable and flower garden on several lots in the city. Right now, it’s grass, I want sunflowers and vegetables. I wouldn’t even mind if someone else wanted to plant on the property. Do you have any advice for me? Sincerely, In Search of a Garden Dear In […]
Posted inCommunity
SPONSORED CONTENT: Five takeaways from the Sustainable Detroit Forum
The fourth annual Sustainable Detroit Forum event was held on November 18th online with more than 100 people in attendance. The panel discussion, “Intersections of community development, environmental justice, and small businesses in Detroit,” was moderated by Joel Howrani Heeres, director of the City of Detroit Office of Sustainability. On the panel was Jamesa Johnson-Greer, […]
Posted inCommunity
‘Making a way out of no way’: Meet four Black women who helped birth Detroit’s environmental justice movement
That Black women lead this work is not by accident. With intelligence, beauty, and ferocity, the Dora Milaje protect the fictional kingdom of Wakanda. In our reality, for the benefit of collective society, stand Alice Jennings, Donele Wilkins, Theresa Landrum, and Monica Lewis-Patrick in the relentless fight to secure environmental justice for the people of […]
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A guide to eating, finding and growing local food in Detroit
Wisdom, resources and practical tips from people at the forefront of the local food movement. Food is one of our basic needs. But finding good food — good for the earth, good for our community, good for our bodies and good for our wallets — is anything but simple. It’s a challenge that has particular implications in […]
Posted inAccountability
Study to examine lead in drinking water in Detroit’s most vulnerable neighborhoods
Detroit’s lead samples have so far complied with Michigan’s Lead and Copper rule, but activists are concerned about high-risk areas. Is compliance testing performed by the City of Detroit under Michigan’s Lead and Water Copper rule adequate to the task of uncovering problems in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods? A group of three “women water warriors” […]
Posted inCommunity
SPONSORED CONTENT: How has the city of Detroit advanced sustainability goals during the pandemic?
A Q&A with Joel Howrani Heeres, Director of Sustainability for the City of Detroit Joel Howrani Heeres is the Director of Sustainability for the City of Detroit. He will deliver the keynote address at the Sustainable Detroit Forum on Nov.18. Register here. Joel Howrani Heeres started 2020 with an ambitious plan. This was going to […]