Palmer Park Earth Day
Sunday, April 23, 2023

• Park-wide Clean-Up
• Old Growth Forest Ceremony & Guided Walk
• Aziza Fairy Forest Treasure & Trash Hunt

 
Join People for Palmer Park as we celebrate Earth Day, clean our beloved park, explore the woods, and enjoy friends, family and nature. From grit to magic, we welcome all ages to pick up a bag and help make a difference.
 
Sign up at palmerparkearthday2023.eventbrite.com to volunteer and join us for a day celebrating nature.
 
Spring Cleanup! Spring is upon us and we want Palmer Park to look beautiful and vibrant for the wonderful community of people who enjoy the park. Trash pick-up, weeding, sweeping, raking, and clearing are just some of the ways to volunteer your time and energy! 
 
Aziza Fairy Forest Trash & Treasure Hunt. Earth Day at Palmer Park is also a fun family event, too! For the young ones, sign up to search for the treasures: the tiny, invisible, magical Aziza Fairies from African and their hand-painted doors that will hang from branches throughout the forest trails. Explore the forest pathways and pick up trash to leave the woods sparkling and clean.
 
Old Growth Forest Ceremony! At noon, between the two clean-up shifts, join us to welcome Nick Sanchez from the Old Growth Forest Network. Detroit’s Palmer Park’s Witherell Woods will be inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network and we want to celebrate with you!
 
The 70-acre Witherell Woods in Palmer Park is the largest old-growth forest in the Tri-County area, and one of only seven forests in the City of Detroit. This is quite an honor, since only 5% of U.S. forests remain undisturbed allowing old growth trees and plants to flourish. Following the brief ceremony, Nick and representatives from PFPP will lead a guided walk through the woods.
 
Sign up with your family, community groups or neighborhood associations, work staff, or come yourself! Please help spread the work and invite as many neighbors and friends as you can!
 
Volunteers will be deployed throughout the park to promote social distancing and to cover as much of the park as possible. Choose a two-hour shift or stay for the whole time. Additional information will be sent the Thursday prior to the clean-up with instructions and directions to your location. (Note: Ticket location is a meeting point, not the site where you will be sent to clean-up)
 
People for Palmer Park will be providing gloves, trash bags, tools, hand sanitizer, and light refreshments. Please bring your own water bottle!
 
Invite family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and any other nature lovers in your life! 

FREE PROGRAMMING JULY 6-SEPTEMBER 4
EVERY WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY, 3-7PM

The Detroit Pistons Foundation partnered with the City of Detroit, William Davidson Foundation, and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation to create the Neighbors Program in the summer of 2019. The Neighbors Program is an extension of the Pistons' "Basketball for All" initiative through which the Pistons have worked diligently to renovate 52 basketball courts around Detroit and have donated 50,000 basketballs to Detroit's youth. The goal of the Neighbors Program is to encourage Detroiters to enjoy their public parks and outdoor spaces by providing healthy, safe, free outdoor activities for the whole family.

For the fourth summer of the program, the partnership expanded to include the Detroit Parks Coalition. DPC is a collaboration between some of Detroit's largest park organizations and advocacy groups. The DPC works to provide and advocate for clean, beautiful parks and community resources for all Detroiters.


Activities will include: 
Basketball, sports clinics, live music, dance, yoga, art classes and much more!
​
The Neighbors program is proud to contribute to an active, green, healthier future for Detroit.​

The Pistons Neighbors Program takes place in these City of Detroit Parks:
Palmer, Pingree, Chandler, Rouge Park and Romanowski. 

Full schedule here (click Palmer Park tab for our specific programming)
​

The Palmer Park Farmers Market Manager will report to People for Palmer Park, Board President & Board Farmers Market Liaisons. 

The Palmer Park Farmers Market Manager is a part-time position with the purpose to coordinate a weekly Farmers Market and manage the daily operations of the market from setup to tear down during the day of the market. Working in partnership with People for Palmer Park (PFPP), the Market Manager will develop an outreach plan and carry out a seasonal plan for Palmer Park Farmer’s Market. The Market Manager will need to identify and solicit vendors and provide consistent and clear communication with those vendors, including getting applications completed and payments received. Vendors may include farmers, food or dessert providers, flower or plant vendors, and more. The Market Manager will also maintain state contacts, and work with PFPP on community volunteers. The Market Manager will strategize to offer experiences that promote healthy and active lifestyles in and around Palmer Park by collaborating with community partners in the area. 

Duties and responsibilities 
Primary Responsibilities: 

• Identify, solicit and get complete applications and rental fees from market vendors. 
• Periodically, recruit new vendors as stalls are available and keeps a record of goods to be sold by these vendors to provide a select variety of merchandise to the public. 
• Operate the Wednesday market from open to close early June to late September: Market setup, assigning stalls to all vendors, answering guest questions, working with volunteers. 
• Maintain good working relationships with guests, volunteers and vendors. 
• Develop a social media and market outreach promotion plan to surrounding communities. 
• Maintain all market records necessary for the market including sales, receipts, and invoices, snap benefit records and accounts, and coordinates all financial activities with PFPP. 
• Manage volunteer staffing and training: intaking new volunteer requests during the market, onboarding vetted volunteers, and performance feedback. 
• Directs the distribution/arrangement of all vehicles on the market premises or grounds. 
• Upon closing, inspect stalls to ensure vendors have left the area in a clean and orderly condition. 
• Verifies that all local, state, and federal laws are observed, all licenses and permits are valid and current for prepared food and meat vendors and maintains files of the same. 

Qualifications:

• Education: GED or higher
• Specialized Knowledge/Experience: 2+ years applied experience in agriculture, produce marketing, nutrition, dietetics, program development or other applicable fields. Preferable to have farmers market admin experience.
• Skills/Abilities: Leadership, effective problem solving, creative thinking, self-motivation, organizational skills, clear and effective communication, passion and dedication to helping others. - Generate a positive attitude over a long period of time. 
• Working conditions: This position requires regular attendance every Wednesday for market operation. You must be able to pleasantly work with the diverse guests and personalities that attend the market. Ideally, this position begins on April 15, 2022, with 12 weeks being direct management of the active market as the market does not open until early July. The remaining weeks are planning and reporting. Approximately 10-20 hours/week. 
• Physical requirements: Ability to lift 50 pounds, do repetitive tasks and stand for long periods of time. 
• Direct reports: The Market Manager reports directly to the People for Palmer Park designated board members. 

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Nikolette Barnes at info@peopleforpalmerpark.org. Application deadline extended to April 15, 2022.
 

Download a copy of this job description

When Mayor Duggan first announced the preservation of the historic bandshell in his March 2021 State of the City Address with the goal of relocating it to another site, he said the city's first choice was Palmer Park (District 2)—as long as the neighbors wanted it there. The initiative was supported by Councilmember Roy McCalister Jr. and preservationists from across the region.

After a handful of 2021 online meetings and one final community meeting with District 2 representatives in August, a final vote was taken and the move to Palmer Park was approved.

Public meetings
4/17/2021 - The City of Detroit/General Services Department first presented their three location options at the People for Palmer Park Annual Meeting which sparked the first public discussion on the pros/cons, concerns and questions some of the surrounding community had about the proposed location.

5/11/2021 - The City then held another presentation and discussion on the bandshell relocation at their online April District 2 Meeting. Some support as well as some concerns arose and the three location options were again discussed. Supporters loved the possibilities of free family-friendly cultural events, while concerns about noise levels and more community engagement in planning and design process were also brought forth.

5/27/2021 - The next DISCUSSION MEETING gave members of the surrounding adjacent neighborhoods the floor to share their thoughts, questions and concerns. Supporters argued that this would be an asset to the community, an arts center and that any type of performance/music could be realistically restricted to the type that would not have higher decibel levels such as jazz, folk and classical. Those opposed were worried about establishing controls on impact to the neighborhood, City enforcement issues that are already a concern and the upkeep and maintenance responsibilities for the bandshell.

AUGUST 2021 - Kim Tandy and District 2 representatives as well as GSD/Detroit Building Authority staff held a FINAL community meeting and the community voted to approve bringing the bandshell to Palmer Park. 
Location will be on 7 Mile Road, east of Pontchartrain but closer to Woodward behind the 12th Precinct. Anticipated parking will be for 82-90 cars and 500-person capacity. It was stressed that there will be more community meetings in the future to discuss management, infrastructure and programming. Once cost is determined, the City will work with partners to manage fees associated with the move. Currently the bandshell is completely disassembled and stored at an unknown location.

About the bandshell structure:

• Heavy timber, wood bolted structure, still in very good condition. City will meet current-day building requirements, transport over to the new site and assemble with same structural integrity.
• The clapboard/plywood siding is in poor condition and will be restored with new materials to replicate.
• The move does not include the single story, back-of-house part of structure, which is also to be rebuilt. A smaller back-of-house likely that would serve the bandshell, loading for performance, storing and a green room.

 

SW Corner of 7 Mile and Woodward EVERY Wednesday
July through September from 4:30-7:30
Masks and social distancing encouraged

Visit Palmer Park Farmers Market on Facebook and Instagram.In partnership with Eastern Market, Detroit Community Markets and the City of Detroit Parks & Recreation Department, join us each Wednesday at this lovely local market for farm fresh fruits and vegetables and more, rain or shine.

WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING ADDITIONAL PRODUCE VENDORS to round out the remainder of the season. Interested or know someone who is? Here is this year's vendor application.


Visit Palmer Park Farmers Market on Facebook and Instagram.

The City of Detroit, Detroit Exploration and Nature Center (DEN), People for Palmer Park (PFPP) and a team of ecological experts are working together to make Lake Frances and Witherell Woods more healthy, usable, and beautiful. This team has collaborated to initiate a substantial habitat restoration initiative in Palmer Park as one of seven projects selected to receive grant funding to benefit communities and wildlife habitats in southeast Michigan by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Over the next year, we will clean up the Lake, replace invasive species with native plants, and improve walking and biking paths on the South end of the park. We will also be developing a long-term ecological restoration and management plan for the remnant woods occupying the center of the park. We have begun the detailed planning, design, permitting and an intensive community engagement process for this effort, including a public survey. We are also in the process of seeking participation from allied stakeholder groups, agencies, and institutions, all of whom are essential to the long-term success of this effort. This amazing ecological transformation in the much-cherished Palmer Park, will provide a myriad of opportunities, including education, research, public access to nature, and others.  


Watch the first meeting of stakeholders
Here is a link to the full Stakeholder Meeting #1 Zoom call held by the City of Detroit on 3/17/2021.
This presentation gives you a great overview of the Lake Frances project and how it started and what the plans are for this beautiful habitat in Palmer Park. Learn then about the construction schedule, the expected activities and—very importantly—the Community engagement we hope all of you will be a part of. The presentation begins at the 01:13 mark if you'd like to skip the side discussion in progress at the beginning.

Take the Survey
The City is also monitoring this Palmer Park Habitat Restoration Project Survey and encourage all to give their input. Your participation in the survey will help us design our programming, outreach strategy, and communication materials. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

​Zoom Link:
https://cityofdetroit.zoom.us/rec/share/ohCbkgORqoA5eq4cQXNacYEzBRVhTPrkykXvBSncLBFZbBQyZFO6EhjRI0SQEXBJ.yxosWcgkZOU1gglM

SAVE THE DATE!
​Saturday, April 17, 2021
10:00am - Meeting & Committee Presentations
​
PUBLIC LINK TO ZOOM MEETING: https://bit.ly/3ffx6Km

Thanks to the amazing work and support of District 2 Councilman Roy McCalister Jr. and the City of Detroit, the historic State Fairgrounds bandshell will be relocated a half mile south to Palmer Park.  

“By preserving the bandshell it saves a piece of Detroit history,” said Rochelle Lento, president of People For Palmer Park. “This is a great opportunity to continue the redevelopment and activation of Palmer Park that the City and People for Palmer Park have collaborated on for the past ten years, and to resurrect a positive attribute for the surrounding communities in an exciting way.”

As the new Amazon fulfillment center and indoor transit center for the Detroit Department of Transportation started to take shape at the longtime site of the Michigan State Fairgrounds, plans to demolish the 83-year old bandshell were not well received by the public and after some media attention, and discussions with Amazon, the City and People for Palmer Park, plans were made to disassemble and move the bandshell to its new home in Palmer. Proposed location is in the old back nine of the former public golf course no longer in use, just north of our community garden.

This move will not be done without community input and the City of Detroit and its Department of Neighborhoods will be engaging residents and community organizations like People for Palmer Park closely on this project as funds are raised and design and location are worked out. We will keep you updated as plans progress.

In 2014, we unveiled our Master Plan Proposal for Palmer Park, and having a bandshell was one part of the vision. Being able to repurpose the existing one is an incredible turn of events for our organization and the potential to see families gathering for cultural events here is exciting.

For more on the bandshell move: 
https://detroitmi.gov/news/councilmember-mccalister-mayor-duggan-preserve-historic-state-fairgrounds