They are havens from the concrete jungle, sanctuaries of softness in a hardened landscape and a way station for bugs, birds, bees, picnickers, walkers and anglers.
They are havens from the concrete jungle, sanctuaries of softness in a hardened landscape and a way station for bugs, birds, bees, picnickers, walkers and anglers.
Two patches of newly restored natural lands on General Motors Corp. properties -- in Warren and alongside the Renaissance Center in Detroit -- were certified this month by the Wildlife Habitat Council for fostering ecological diversity.
They expand to 40 the number of council certifications in Michigan. They include places like BASF Corp.'s Fighting Island in the Detroit River and several lands owned by DTE Energy and GM rival Ford.
Such corporate behemoths -- regularly targeted by environmentalists for pollution spewing from tailpipes and exhaust stacks -- have a vested interest in greening their identity. But the council's certifications are more than business PR.
"The criteria are very difficult. We have biologists with master's degrees and PhDs who are out looking at these sites," said Vanessa Kauffman, marketing director for the Habitat Council, based in Silver Spring, Md. "They need to have enhanced the land, have plenty of native plantings and meet a lot of other criteria."
At GM's Tech Center in Warren, that meant transforming 8 acres of former parking lot into a private park called Saarinen Mall, now used for community events. Forty-two types of plants flourish in the industrial setting, which also has attracted great blue herons and 13 other bird species.
At the Renaissance Center, the designation applies to the front and rear of the building.
In the front, the fortress-like concrete berm separating the Renaissance Center from the rest of downtown was torn down in 2002. Three years later, red oak and locust trees, plus ivy, flower beds and grassy knolls have replaced the concrete.
The grove was part of a huge undertaking that involved environmental calculations every step of the way, said Conrad Schwartz, director of asset management for GM's RenCen development.
"From the materials we used -- the paints, glues, everything -- to what you see out here," he said, gesturing to the Jefferson Avenue landscaping Sunday, "it was all done with an undercurrent of environmental sensitivity."
Behind the RenCen, the natural landscaping frames the new RiverWalk that eventually is to run from Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge. Trees, 30 species of native shrubs, long-stemmed grasses and rest benches replace what had been inaccessible and uninviting.
"We've been looking forward to this, it's great," said Megan Brill, 61, who was strolling along the RiverWalk with her husband, Lesley Brill, 62, on Sunday.
They live in Lafayette Park and have incorporated the area into their exercise routine. "We can't wait until we can ride from here to Mexican Town," she said.
GM donated the half-mile of riverfront walkway to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. And the walkway's landscaping is more than simply inviting.
With roots that sink several feet deep, plants absorb and filter pollutants from storm runoff that otherwise might reach the river or contribute to the overwhelming of sewage treatment facilities during rainstorms.
The native plants also produce seeds and fruits eaten by native birds and insects.
The changes are part of bringing life -- both figuratively and literally -- to a Detroit riverfront that until recently has been largely unseen and little used by the public.
For information about the council, go to www.wildlifehc.org.
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Copyright (c) 2005, Detroit Free Press
Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
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