LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Just this year alone, at least six rounds of major severe weather have hit the region, bringing wind, hail, and tree damage — messes that people are still working to clean up.
Local Doug Gutzki is one of the community members taking restoration and beautification of the greater Lansing area into their own hands. Gutzki, who lives nearby Woodcreek Park, says that a downed tree had sat in the park for months. Due to its severity, Gutzki decided to call the Lansing Parks and Recreation department. Within one week, the tree was all cleaned up and left was another stump in the park – something Gutzki noticed a lot throughout the park.
When Gutzki asked about the stump removal process, the Parks and Recreation Department said that they didn’t have the resources to remove the stumps around the park. 6 News spoke to the Lansing Parks and Recreation Department, and they said that the staff and money that would be needed to assist in stump cleanup would be too much for the city. That’s when the department referred Gutzki to the “Adopt a Park” program, a statewide initiative by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which Gutzki decided to participate in.
“We’re both retired – my wife and I, and I can’t just sit on my hands,” says Gutzki. “I’ve always been a builder, you know, different things and like to please people. So, I thought this was a good way to do that.”
Gutzki had never heard of the effort, despite it being around for decades. After going through the application process and being approved to work on the park, Gutzki got to work – turning the stumps into elevated flowerbeds. During the process, a neighbor even picked up a shovel to help restore the area. Gutzki hopes that actions like his inspire others to invest in their own neighborhoods…