Adopt a Park: A Fresh Look at a Legacy Program.

Jan 26

2026 marks 3 years of collaboration between DPC and the City of Detroit on the Adopt a Park program. We’re incredibly proud of all the work DPC, the City of Detroit and Detroit’s park stewards have accomplished city wide since 2023; as we approach the priority deadline for the 2026 Adopt a Park application, we thought it’d be a great time to highlight the progress we’ve all achieved. First, you may be wondering:

What is the Adopt a Park Program?

The Adopt a Park program is a partnership between the City of Detroit, Detroit Parks Coalition, and community groups who beautify and activate their local parks. Adopt a Park stewards commit to hosting cleanups and events in their local parks. Stewards host a variety of park events such as movie nights, backpack giveaways, fitness classes, winter festivals, and concerts.

The program began in 1977 under the Coleman A. Young administration. Adopt a Park was created by then Detroit Parks and Recreation Department Director Leon Atchison and was one of the first of its kind in the nation. It saw several iterations over time, including a period where adopters focused on grass mowing when the city was going through municipal bankruptcy. More resources became available for Detroit parks over the years, and the program now focuses on park cleanups and events.

What’s changed?

In 2023 the Detroit Parks Coalition began administering the program in partnership with the City of Detroit, adding more focus and resources to Adopt a Park. In that time DPC has brought many changes to the program, including:

Lunch and Learns – sessions designed to enhance the stewardship experience with different learning topics such as how to permit an event, or how to work with various City departments. These also provide a chance for stewards to network and learn from one another, as well as give them face-to-face time with DPC and City staff to troubleshoot
Gear Library – to prevent stewards from having to go into their own pockets to host events and cleanups, DPC launched a Park Steward Resource Library in 2024. The library has items such as tents, tables, a generator, and P.A. system for events, as well as loppers, rakes, shovels, and trash grabbers for cleanups – all free for stewards to borrow.
Program growth – when DPC inherited the program, Adopt a Park had 23 organizations enrolled as stewards. The program’s reach expanded due to the combined efforts of DPC and the Parks and Recreation Division promoting stewardship, and 76 parks were adopted in 2025.

In 2026, keep a lookout for Adopt a Park’s new logo! Inspired by the original 1977 branding (pictured above at Clark Park), Adopt a Park’s new logo celebrates Detroit’s long held commitment to love our parks and the exciting reinvigoration of the program we’ve seen since 2023.

As the 2026 season of Adopt a Park is set to begin, DPC is excited for another year of supporting stewards in their work keeping Detroit’s parkland beautiful and active.

See You in The Parks!