Toxic green slime is growing in lakes all over the country, including Lake Erie. It prevents us from recreational activities like swimming and fishing, and in some cases, contaminates our drinking water supply. Polluted runoff from agricultural fields and urban areas fuels the growth of these harmful algal blooms. Our foundation has supported over $14 million...
I am pleased to share the news of $7.1 million in new and continuing grants approved at our June 7 board meeting. Grant highlights include: $2 million as a challenge grant for the Detroit Zoo to create a new Great Lakes center in Macomb County. The center will use sustainable design and innovative programming to...
A key component of sustainability is equity. In addition to the redevelopment of policies and programs, seeking equity calls for diverse voices forging solutions that benefit all. The University of Michigan Environmental Fellows Program diversifies environmental and conservation philanthropy by supporting the career aspirations of graduate students from traditionally underrepresented populations. On May 23, the Foundation hosted this...
We are pleased to share our foundation’s 2017 annual report. Covering one year and $11.3 million in grantmaking, the report showcases people and organizations who are advancing sustainability through work in the environment and the arts. We hope that you share our excitement about their efforts and enjoy viewing the short videos embedded throughout the report. The report’s...
$2.1 million in new and continuing grants were approved at our March 7 board meeting. The grants will: Provide continued general operating support to a set of watershed organizations in metro Detroit and Bayfield, Ontario. As the caretakers of our rivers, watershed organizations are core to the Foundation’s mission. This sustained support has been a...
Detroit’s innovative bioretention gardens were featured in “Secret Gardens,” produced by Detroit Public Television’s Great Lakes Bureau and aired February 28, 2018 through the PBS Sci Tech Now program. A 2015 Erb grant helped create The Great Lakes Bureau to create, curate and distribute timely, topical stories about the Great Lakes ecology, economy and cultural history, building...
We are pleased to share this memo illustrating financial, operational, and programmatic themes in the Detroit arts sector. Published by the Kresge and Erb Family Foundations, the report is the result of a joint review of 68 metro Detroit arts organizations, encompassing a wide range of budget sizes, geographies, and disciplines. Erb’s partnership with Kresge is designed...
Farmers and gardeners across Detroit implemented innovative rainwater harvesting systems, learning solutions that would conserve both water and money. The integration of water stewardship into urban agriculture is one example of the many ways that grassroots communities are informing the sustainability movement. Video credit: Cass Corridor Films.
On the city’s Northwest side, Detroiters celebrated their neighborhoods through the popular two-day Sidewalk Festival and a new artistic reimagining of Eliza Howell Park. Video credit: Oren Goldenberg, Cass Corridor Films
Certain bugs (stoneflies and other benthic-macroinvertebrates) and other wildlife indicate the health of our rivers. Identifying these insects is a perfect job for volunteers; it’s fun and builds environmental stewardship, while providing a cost-effective data set. Annual bug hunts and frog and toad surveys organized by watershed organizations engage more than 600 volunteers each year. Some...