This story is part of a series exploring how parks serve as engines of exploration, education, play, and equity. It is made possible with support from Huron-Clinton Metroparks and the City of Detroit.
The
Huron-Clinton Metroparks are celebrating this Earth Day by rolling out several new pilot initiatives that are the first steps in an ambitious plan to combat the impacts of climate change.
The Metroparks introduced their
climate action plan in 2023. The five-year plan outlines 130 climate-related actions for the system to take in five key areas: education and engagement, preservation and conservation, water quality, transportation, and waste management, recycling, and composting.
"The Metroparks are recognizing that we're having different weather patterns in the area, and weather affects the out-of-doors, and weather affects every single resident in Southeast Michigan," says Jennifer Jaworski, the Metroparks' chief of interpretive services. "And so we need to do our due diligence as a park system to assure that what we are doing is going to be for the benefit of all the people in Southeast Michigan."
Danielle Mauter, the Metroparks' chief of marketing and communications, says there's also a strong "business case" for the parks system to take action on climate issues. For example, she notes that changing weather patterns make cross-country skiing season shorter and "inundate" pools and waterfronts in the summer.
"Those changing weather patterns impact the Metroparks' business operations, too," she says. "So for us to put our heads in the sand and pretend that that's not true wouldn't serve us very well."
Jaworski says the Metroparks also have a unique responsibility, and potential for impact, as "one of the largest public landowners in Southeast Michigan." The 13 Metroparks span nearly 25,000 acres in Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
"If we can cut our carbon emissions and if we can add to our carbon storage, then we're making a difference right here in Southeast Michigan," Jaworski says.
Recycling
Mauter says the Metroparks are announcing several new initiatives "that the public themselves can also get involved in or have a high degree of interest in." Among those are changes to the parks' recycling operations, which will be marketed under the slogan "Keep It Clean." The Metroparks are partnering with Waste Management to offer single-stream recycling, meaning that all recycling can be placed into a single bin instead of being separated by material type. The parks system is rolling out new signage to help visitors understand which materials are suitable for recycling and which must be placed in the trash.
Mauter says the Metroparks' past recycling programs have focused primarily on plastic bottles. Switching to single-stream recycling allows the system and its 7 million to 8 million annual visitors to divert much more trash from landfills.
"Take a pause," Mauter says. "Make sure, if you're bringing trash into the park, that you're putting it in the proper places – and when you're thinking about trash, not just calling it trash, but thinking about what can be recycled and what can be quality recycling."
Electric, hybrid, and solar power
The Metroparks are also exploring greener options for vehicles and maintenance equipment. The system will roll out two electric mowers this year for use in the system's western district, which includes Huron Meadows, Kensington, and Indian Springs Metroparks. The parks system introduced two electric vehicles to its staff fleet last year, and will add two hybrid staff vehicles this year. Jaworski says the system is also encouraging staff to buy an electric tool when a gas-powered tool needs to be replaced.
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Huron-Clinton MetroparksSome of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks' electric mowers.
The Metroparks are also introducing their first two electric vehicle chargers for public use at Willow Metropark Golf Course. Willow and Stony Creek Metroparks' golf courses have also replaced gas-powered golf carts with electric carts. Four of the parks system's seven golf courses now use electric carts, and the other three will adopt electric carts by 2028. Mauter says all these efforts are aimed at reducing carbon emissions, the primary driver of climate change.
"The Metroparks are taking steps to reduce carbon emissions in hopes that the public starts seeing this more often and thinking about ways that they can do that in their own personal lives too," she says.
Improving the environment by letting it grow
The Metroparks will also be expanding their amount of "
Grow Zones" – areas of the parks that are intentionally left unmowed. Mauter says this has multifaceted benefits, including reducing the carbon emissions from mowing and allowing more habitat for native species to flourish. The more established plants in these areas also help to absorb stormwater, improving water quality by reducing pollution runoff and preventing flooding downstream.
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Huron-Clinton MetroparksA Grow Zone at Stony Creek Metropark.
"We are the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. We're along the Huron River and we're along the Clinton River," Jaworski says. "These rivers flow through many different residential areas. If we can help mitigate stormwater upstream, maybe that flooding won't happen downstream. So we're really taking that responsible look at: What are we doing? How are we contributing?"
The Metroparks have a goal of increasing the system's unmowed acreage. Mauter says new Grow Zones will be added "most likely each year," with signage to explain their function.
"We want the public to have a greater understanding of why we do that and the benefits that it has to them, the visitor, and to our environment itself," she says.
Climate-centric programming
The Metroparks are also introducing a series of programs called "
Climate Classroom." The series includes a session on how to build a runoff-mitigating rain garden, a tour of Lake Erie Metropark's new rain garden, and a native plant sale and swap. On Monday through Friday of Earth Day week, the parks system will also host a daily virtual happy hour with presentations summarizing the Metroparks' efforts in each of its climate action plan's five focus areas.
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Huron-Clinton MetroparksA Metroparks cleanup event.
Although Climate Classroom programs are open to the general public, Mauter says Metroparks staff particularly hope to engage teachers in the sessions.
"Teachers can come participate and learn how to work these topics into their lessons, as well as [build] some partnerships with Michigan agencies that are putting climate-related resources out there for teachers to utilize," she says.
Next steps
Data collection and analysis is key as the Metroparks look towards the next steps of their climate action plan. The Metroparks have hired a contractor to conduct a carbon emissions study for the entire system. The study will determine the Metroparks' current baseline carbon emissions, as well as how much the system's new initiatives help to reduce those emissions. Jaworski says most of this year's new initiatives will "start small" as pilot programs so staff can assess their efficacy before changing or expanding them.
"The data collection is going to be driving our decisions and moving the projects forward," she says." ... We want to start as a pilot and move through that process, utilizing that data collection, and then coming out with a bigger, better product and replicating it across different parks."
Patrick Dunn is the lead writer for the Power of Parks series. He's also the managing editor of Concentrate and an Ypsilanti-based freelance writer and editor.
Stony Creek cleanup photos by Nick Hagen. All other photos courtesy of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.