Mapping Edible Trees
Northwest Grand Rapids
Group Members: Kendra Erickson, Jacquelyn Molloseau, Dana Williams, Shanna McElrath, Katelyn Brainard, Kendra Slater, Daniel Dizon, Olivia Gordon, Devin LaFond
Why Edible Tree Mapping?
The Urban Agriculture Committee of Grand Rapids is conducting a project to map out all of the edible trees in the city of Grand Rapids. The project and the committee’s aim is to promote health, nutrition, and food access within the community through edible landscaping. Edible landscaping is essential to urban communities as it can provide a low cost, low maintenance source of fresh fruits and vegetables in areas where they might otherwise be difficult to obtain, particularly in food deserts.
Rosa Parks Circle
Source: https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/The Northwest of Grand Rapids is located on the west side of the Grand River. This area consists of mostly residential housing, but popular attractions include the John Ball Zoo, the downtown campus of Grand Valley State University, Rosa Parks Circle, Lincoln Park, and the Blandford Nature Center.
Socioeconomic Breakdown of Northwest Grand Rapids
Education Levels
Overall, the majority of people have some level of college education with 69% of inhabitants having college experience up to a Master’s degree or higher. That leaves 31% of people who have the equivalent of a high school diploma or lower. Additionally, the median income of people in this area is $65,692, which is around $18,519 more than the median income for Grand Rapids as a whole.
Race and Ethnic Makeup
This graphic displays the ethnic and racial breakdown of this area of Grand Rapids compared to Grand Rapids as a whole. There is a higher percentage of White people in this area at 94.8% compared to an overall percentage of about 59% in Grand Rapids. Consequently, the percentages of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Mixed populations are lower in Northwest Grand Rapids than in the total city.
Unique Areas in Northwest Grand Rapids
The John Ball Zoo
In 1884 John Ball, a “founding father” of Grand Rapids, died, leaving his land in Northwest Grand Rapids to the city for public use. Seven years later in 1891, records reported the keeping of many small animals on the premises called the “Ball 40”. By 1894, it became clear that visitors at the park wanted a bear. Notorious “Ol’Jack the Bear” was introduced later that year. Guests at the park would feed Ol’Jack beer, soda, candy, and peanuts. Though treated quite poorly, Jack was a beloved bear. One year after his arrival, it was demanded that a new, bigger enclosure and a new bridge be built. In 1897, Jack escaped his exhibit and was shot twice after rushing a keeper. The mayor of Grand Rapids proposed that the flag in front of city hall be placed at half mast, but the council “felt that given the circumstances of Jack’s dissolute lifestyle that probably wasn't appropriate.”
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Another long-lasting institution in the region is the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which still stands as one of the oldest history museums in the U.S. Founded in 1854 by civic leaders such as John Ball, it was originally called the Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History. Since then, it has merged with the GR Scientific Club and moved to various buildings. Its current location opened in 1994, and it now features more than 250,000 artifacts and specimens.
Rosa Parks Circle
Rosa Parks Circle, a small plaza located downtown, was designed in 1999 by the internationally-acclaimed artist Maya Lin, and throughout the years, it has also been known as “Ecliptic”, “Grab Corners”, and “Campau Square”. It functions for the city as both a popular ice skating rink as well as a public seating and concert space. The Circle was also named one of five Great Public Spaces in America by the American Planning Association in 2017.
Alpine Township Farmland
Alpine Township is 75% farmland, including what is known as the “The Ridge” which is a growing region known for its fruit production and some of the best topographical features for fruit agriculture in the world.
Edible Trees Previously Mapped in Northwest Grand Rapids
The trees depicted above were located in the northwest region of Grand Rapids using the Falling Fruit interactive map. Our hope is to find varieties of trees in good health, and in easily accessible locations so they can benefit the community. According to the map, many of the edible trees in this region are near John Ball Zoo and the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
Works Cited:
“Alpine, Michigan | Find Things to Do, Restaurants & Shopping.” Experience Grand Rapids, 2020, www.experiencegr.com/about-grand-rapids/towns/alpine. Accessed 26 October 2020.
“About ‘the Ridge.’” Fruit Ridge Markets, 2 May 2014, www.fruitridgemarket.com/about-the-ridge/.
“Animal Stories” John Ball Zoo, https://www.jbzoo.org/125/history/animals#Jack%20the%20bear. Accessed 26 October 2020.
“Blackgum (Nyssa Sylvatica).” Native Nurseries, 2019, www.nativnurseries.com/products/blackgum-seedlings-for-sale-nyssa-sylvatica.
“Black Walnut Tree Image.” Free Image, 3 June 2019, pixy.org/146747/.
“Common Hackberry.” UMN Extension, extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/common-hackberry.
“Fall Color - Maple and Sky Closeup.” Flickr, 13 Nov. 2020, flic.kr/p/zBKaQ1.
Falling Fruit, fallingfruit.org/.
Gingko Tree,Ginkgo Biloba,Fukushima,Tree,Fruit - Free Image from Needpix.com, www.needpix.com/photo/300857/gingko-tree-ginkgo-biloba-fukushima-tree.
“Grand Rapids Public Museum.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Public_Museum.
“Grand Rapids.” WXMI, 2019, www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/.
“John Ball Zoo’s Historical Timeline: 1884 to 1909.” John Ball Zoo, https://www.jbzoo.org/125/history/chapter1. Accessed 21 October 2020.
“Mission & Facts – Grand Rapids Public Museum.” Grand Rapids Public Museum, 2020, www.grpm.org/mission. Accessed 21 October 2020.
“Race and Ethnicity in Westside Connection, Grand Rapids, Michigan (Neighborhood).” The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas, 14 Sept. 2018, statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Michigan/Grand-Rapids/Westside-Connection/Race-and-Ethnicity.
“Reddish Seed Pods of Honey Locust Tree Image.” Free Image, 30 Oct. 2020, pixy.org/148075/.
“Rosa Parks Circle.” City of Grand Rapids, 2020, www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Directory/Places/Parks/Rosa-Parks-Circle. Accessed 21 October 2020.
“Rosa Parks Circle | Attractions in Grand Rapids, MI.” Experience Grand Rapids, 2020, www.experiencegr.com/listings/rosa-parks-circle/3626. Accessed 28 October 2020.
“U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Grand Rapids City, Michigan.” Census Bureau QuickFacts, 1 July 2019, www.census.gov/quickfacts/grandrapidscitymichigan. Accessed 21 October 2020.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network. “Hickory, Shagbark.” Hickory, Shagbark | Nebraska Forest Service, nfs.unl.edu/woody-plants/shagbark-hickory.
“Westside Connection Demographics Statistics.” Niche, www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/westside-connection-grand-rapids-mi/residents/. Accessed 21 October 2020.
