MCEP began a new project in 2024 with the purchase of the vacant lot on the eastside of Northbound Gratiot just north of Clinton River Drive and a parking lot where a house once stood. The land is uneven, and the lot covered by grass with bricks and rubble just below the grass. It was a bit overgrown around the edges. Some folks suggested why here? You could get a better place to build a small park. But that misses the point! We need to take undervalued places and create value in them and thus for the whole community.
Pollinator Park’s unique sculptures are designed to invite curious visitors to come, explore and learn. Our sculptures started with a bee, a butterfly, and a moth to represent some of the pollinators in our world that we need to protect and help them flourish. Kyle Burnett, a metal artist from Battle Creek created the sculptures and incorporated a seat in each of them. Sit and relax. Take a selfie and post it on our Facebook page. Include your name if you want or just make up a whimsical name, it is up to you. You may see your photo on our website.
By Kyle Burnett
By Kyle Burnett
By Kyle Burnett
The other sculptures are also very unique. There are three 3D-printed concrete planter architectural features. No plants in them yet but we hope to by spring 2026. We think the walls will give some structure to the Park. They were created and printed by Citizen Robotics of Detroit.
The final sculpture is the Bee Reader. A little library but not like others. We always seek to add not to compete. Each month MCEP provides two small paperback books. One for beginning readers and the other for more advanced readers. These paperbacks include wood searches, coloring books, short stories, and activity books. Please invite all to look and take the books. The Bee Reader is looking to be your friend. The Bee Reader’s creator is the Nordin Brothers of Detroit. We all would be pleased if you came back each month to see what’s new. The books we’ve distributed thus far include:
By Israel & Erik Nordin
February – History of the Civil Rights Movement & Wit & Wisdom of America’s Presidents
March – Animal Mosaics Coloring Book & American Short Story Masterpieces
April – My First Book About Outer Space & Norman Rockwell Classics from The Saturday Evening Post Coloring Book
May – The Ultimate Maze Book & Spot-the-Differences Dinosaurs
June – Creative Haven Glorious Songbirds Coloring Book & Women’s Wit and Wisdom: A Book Of Quotations
July – Dinosaur Sticker Activity Book & Great Horse Stories
August – Famous Cities Search-a-Word Puzzles & Ghandi Autobiography
We also have volunteers who have planted gardens to greet the neighborhood and all those who stop and see the Pollinator Park. In each of the gardens, we try and use native plants that pollinators like. We also label the plants so you can learn about them. Some like the Cup plant, we will be able to share the seedlings with you in the fall for your own home gardens. The following is the complete list of the native plants. We do have some non-natives, like daffodils, but they are just too good not to have.
Cup – Daisy – Iris – Chicory – Butterfly Weed – Liatris – Cardinal Flower – Meadow Blazing Star – American Tulip Tree
