Hummingbird garden closer to reality
Grants will provide for trees and shrubs
Arbor Day 2024 will be especially green for Macomb Township, as the township recently received grants for trees and shrubs that will become a part of a hummingbird garden at Pitchford Park.
“We are looking forward to doing plantings on Arbor Day later this month, and could not do without you guys putting it together,” Treasurer Leon Drolet said, thanking volunteers for their efforts toward the garden.
During a Macomb Township Board of Trustees meeting on April 10, officials voted unanimously to accept grants administered by the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development for hummingbird garden plantings at Pitchford Park.
In a memo to the board dated April 3, Drolet wrote that the township secured a grant from the Green Macomb Planet program for $1,600. This grant will be used to purchase shrubs and perennials for the garden in the park. He also wrote that an additional grant for $4,900 has been secured for trees in the park garden from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. Both grants, Drolet added, are administered by the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development.
Luke Hefferan, an associate planner with Parks and Natural Resources of Macomb County Planning and Economic Development, addressed the board regarding the grants.
“Part of what our Green Macomb Program within the county is, we leverage grant dollars so we can fund green and recreation projects throughout the county,” Hefferan said.
He added the parks and natural resources department
gave an enthusiastic thumbs up when approached about grant support for the hummingbird project at Pitchford Park.
“Our grants provide trees from the U.S. Forest Service, and this grant is a $500,000 grant that was awarded through the county through congressionally directed spending in 2023. And we are hoping to plant at least 1,500 trees throughout the county for the next five years. The shrubs and wildflowers for the garden are also provided from a grant from Consumers Energy. This is a Planet Award Grant, and the whole purpose of this grant was to showcase the value of urban trees and native plants as green infrastructure within the county. Both of these grants help further the goal of Green Macomb to double the tree canopy across the county, and we are so happy to be able to announce these grants for the hummingbird garden,” Hefferan said.
Drolet said that the township has received many trees for Macomb Corners Park, Waldenburg Park and Pitchford Park from grants administered via the department.
“We have been able to plant, you know, several hundred trees in the last couple of years, thanks to the grants that you guys help connect us with. So we greatly appreciate that,” Drolet said.
Drolet also acknowledged township volunteers for their role in creating the hummingbird garden at Pitchford Park. He said volunteers designed the garden, and will participate in other tree planting and garden projects in the township. He additionally acknowledged the contribution of Ray Wiegand’s Nursery, which assisted in the design of the garden.
Pitchford Park is located on Romeo Plank Road, north of 22 Mile Road. The township acquired the park property through a donation. The Macomb Township Board of Trustees sold several separate properties to finance Pitchford Park, and also utilized cash reserves generated from financial savings.
The hummingbird garden will be planted on either side of the bridge that connects to neighborhoods in the park. He also said that the hummingbird garden will offset the monarch butterfly habitat in the park. On Sept. 27, 2023, the Macomb Township the board approved a request to accept a grant from Macomb County Planning and Economic Development Department for a Canadian National EcoConnexions program, to create a monarch butterfly habitat at Pitchford Park. It was for up to $3,000 to plant wildflower seed on an acre of drain and wet areas at the park for the habitat.
Supervisor Frank Viviano thanked Drolet for volunteering a lot of his time to get work done on the hummingbird garden.
“If anyone has not yet ventured to Pitchford Park I would suggest you take the time and head over there,” Viviano said.