Tag: ecology
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On August 12, 2026, the Chaldean Community Foundation and Sterling Heights Planning Department presented a revised development proposal. It covers the Riverland Park property on North Van Dyke Avenue. The Planning Commission subsequently approved the revised proposal. The City has posted the August 12 meeting materials. This revised plan designates the landmark chinquapin oak, Tree…
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Next year, the United States of America will celebrate 250 years of existence. A noteworthy milestone that will prompt much reflection on the trials, successes, and opportunities envisioned by our country’s founders. Based on its estimated age, the Sterling Oak was likely here at that time, which is quite remarkable to think about. By the…
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From our heartwood to yours, thank you to everyone who has written, called, posted, and spoken this year in support of saving this special old tree, its friends, wildlife that depend on it, wetlands, and all the surrounding habitat in Sterling Heights, Michigan. These natural features belong to all of us, support all of us.…
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The following article appears in the Spring 2025 newsletter of the Michigan Botanical Society Southeastern Chapter about the Sterling Oak, published June 02, 2025. It is also being republished with permission here. The Story of the Sterling Oak Becoming part of the MBS Big Tree Program submitted by Mark Graf In 1799, William Blake wrote…
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It matters not if you are religious, not religious, a person of faith of any kind, or somewhere in between; there can be no denying Pope Francis’ influence on and importance to millions of people and organizations worldwide. Notably, he recognized the worldwide problem we face with the ongoing destruction of nature, the courage it…
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The large Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) in Sterling Heights on Van Dyke has some giant cousins in Southern Michigan – all here long before the cities, development projects, and coming and going of government officials and numerous administrations. All in all, they have endured despite the continued threats against them because somebody, somewhere, prioritized their…
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In an earlier post, we shared James Vukelich’s lessons from the Ojibwe people and their language on how to speak about trees, learning the Ojibwe word ‘Mitig.‘ He discussed how the word is an animate noun used in a context similar to referring to a relative. This grammatical pattern is central to the workings of…