Hantz Woodlands facts for kids

Hantz Woodlands, also known as Hantz Farms, is a special tree farm located in Detroit, USA. It's on the lower east side of the city. This project has transformed over 2,000 empty city lots, covering more than 140 acres. They've cleared old, empty houses and vacant land to create a large hardwood tree farm. It's bordered by E. Jefferson Avenue, Mack Avenue, St. Jean Street, and Van Dyke Avenue. Hantz Woodlands is part of Hantz Farms, LLC, which is a division of Hantz Group. It is the biggest urban tree farm in the United States.

Why Hantz Woodlands Started

John Hantz, the CEO of Hantz Group, grew up in Detroit. He saw many empty lots and decaying houses in the city. These areas were often called "blighted," meaning they were run-down and neglected. John Hantz wanted to fix these problems.

He believed that these neglected areas made the city look bad. They could also make people feel unsafe and lower the value of nearby homes. By cleaning up these areas, Hantz hoped to make Detroit look better. He also wanted to make people feel prouder of their community.

John Hantz noticed that about 40 square miles of Detroit were empty. This huge amount of unused land made property values drop. He thought that if a lot of this land was used for something positive, like a farm, it could help property values go up. He also hoped it would bring more visitors and create new opportunities for the city.

Originally, Hantz wanted to create a farm that grew fruits and vegetables. He thought this could help people get healthy food. However, some local farmers worried about competition. There were also concerns about using pesticides. People wondered about Hantz's true reasons for the project. Because of these issues, the plan changed. The project became a large tree farm instead.

Planting Trees and Events

In 2013, Hantz Woodlands made an agreement with the city of Detroit. They promised to tear down 50 empty buildings. They also agreed to plant 15,000 trees. And they would keep the properties in the area well-maintained. By December 2014, the company had finished all these tasks. Detroit's mayor, Mike Duggan, gave them a certificate for completing the agreement.

Hantz Woodlands also holds yearly tree-planting events. In 2016, they started the Timber Trot 5K race. This event helps raise money for the Hantz Foundation.

• On May 17, 2014, over 1,000 volunteers helped plant trees. They planted 15,000 young maple and oak trees. These trees were planted on 20 acres at Hantz Woodlands.
• On October 15, 2014, 150 large sugar maple trees arrived in Detroit. They were brought from Michigan and New York. These trees were then planted at Hantz Woodlands.
• On May 9, 2015, volunteers planted 5,000 tulip poplar trees. Some of these trees were later moved to a different location.
• On May 7, 2016, Hantz Woodlands planted 3,150 sugar maples. These trees were about six feet tall.
• On May 6, 2017, volunteers planted around 3,000 trees. [google:hantz+woodlands+tree+planting+2017&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj84ezbwurTAhUGQSYKHRctBEEQ7AkIWw&biw=1422&bih=730&dpr=1.35/|See images of tree planting 2017]]