Neighborhood Support

The Urban Forest Project houses resources that are available for the use of community groups and Citizen Foresters that may be helpful for projects and programs in your neighborhood. Our goal is to ensure that your community has all the necessary tools and information needed to foster initiatives to protect, enhance, and expand tree canopy in your neighborhood.

Technical Assistance

First and fore-most we are a community resource. We want to support community-based projects that seek to protect, enhance, and expand parks and public spaces. Therefore, we work directly with neighborhoods to support their projects and community objectives.

We include a network of trained Citizen Foresters and Certified Arborists that can help answer your questions or point you in the right direction. While we do not offer any commercial services, we are happy to provide support or answer questions for community-based projects and basic urban forest issues.

If your neighborhood has tree questions or is considering tree-related projects, we can help you:

  • Get the appropriate tools for your project.
  • Provide technical support, training, or education.
  • Recruit volunteers.
  • Meet with neighbors.
  • Obtain permits or approval with the City of Grand Rapids.
  • Connect with Citizen Foresters in your community.
  • Identify various funding opportunities.

Please, contact us, with any questions about trees or projects in your neighborhood. We're happy to help.

Guides

How-to manuals illustrate how to plant, grow, maintain, and identify various tree species. We are constantly developing and linking to additional guides. Our database should be an initial resource and continuing reference for those interested in trees. You can find all our guides on our guide and fact sheet page.

Resource Library

Our resource library is a combination of books, fact-sheets, guides, and tools housed at the FGRP office (15 Ionia Ave SW, Suite 540, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503). These resources can be checked-out by citizen foresters, used for community-oriented projects, or viewed at our location. Resources include:

  • Comprehensive textbooks on tree pests and disease.
  • A variety of tree identification resources.
  • Pruning tools; including saws, pole-pruners, loppers, and hand-pruners.
  • Toolkits for tree mapping.

We also have a fully-stocked tool trailer with shovels, rakes, pick-axes, wheelbarrows, and associated equipment. This tool trailer is available for community-oriented projects seeking to positively impact the urban forest for public good. If you could use some tools for a project, please contact us or submit a mini-grant.

Mini-Grants

The Urban Forest Project offers mini-grants to local groups and organizations to encourage tree projects block by block, park by park. These mini-grants are intended to support advocacy, education, or implementation of tree related projects in your neighborhood. You can find our mini grant application and other opportunities here.