Marathon Petroleum plants 150 trees in Detroit community in one day

Community News

Foundation, Detroit Refinery

Volunteers from Detroit Refinery planted 150 trees in the Oakwood Heights neighborhooodVolunteers from Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit refinery planted 150 trees in the Oakwood Heights neighborhood located near the facility. The refinery partnered with the Wildlife Habitat Council to support efforts to restore green spaces in the 48217 zip code in southwest Detroit.

“What a great event! We had over 45 volunteers from the refinery, plus a few folks from the neighborhood and our community partner groups, planting 150 native trees,” said Kevin Lepak, Advance HES Professional at the Detroit refinery. “We even had time to spread some mulch at the Fort Street Bridge Park.”

The Wildlife Habitat Council is focused on restoring greenspaces in urban areas. The trees benefit the area in multiple ways, like managing stormwater runoff, reducing air pollution and creating a buffer between residents in the communities and nearby industrial facilities.

The Detroit refinery team supports a wide range of programs that directly address the needs in the community, based on resident and employee input. In 2021, Marathon Petroleum invested more than a half-million dollars in Detroit and local refinery employees dedicated upwards of 1,300 hours working directly in the community. The focus of Marathon Petroleum’s philanthropy is Southwest Detroit, specifically the 48217 zip code, with a goal of maximizing the impact and benefits to the local community near the refinery.