Courtney Kiley’s Ecology class zoomed through the bike paths of Metro Detroit last week, identifying species of trees and birds along the way. This annual trip allowed the students to immerse themselves in Detroit, while also getting a glimpse into the urban farming process.

Ecology student, Emily Yesowitz, learned about urban ecology while still having fun.

“I thought that this trip was super fun,” Yesowitz said. “It was a chance to see how ecology can interact with a city, which is super interesting because those two are usually contradictory, but they don’t have to be.”

Yesowitz appreciated the opportunity to get out of the classroom and felt that the trip was a unique experience.

“It’s great to go somewhere and do an activity and just see the real world once in a while, instead of sitting in class,” Yesowitz said.

After riding bikes, the students visited Keep Growing Detroit, a Detroit-based urban garden. While there, students helped weed, sort seeds and garden.

One of the farmers at Keep Growing Detroit, Emily Zonder, helped set up tasks for the students. This is only Zonder’s second year working with the organization, but they already feel that they are making a difference in the community.

“It’s a really amazing community and everyone is really motivated to grow with each other and help people grow their own food,” Zonder said. “I really love this network of people who want to make the world a better place.”

Keep Growing Detroit aims to localize the food system and get Detroit residents in charge of their own food. This creates a sustainable and ecologically friendly food system that also benefits the people.

“We’re all geared toward trying to create food sovereignty within the city, so what that means to us is having the majority of food eaten in the city of Detroit to be produced by Detroiters,” Zonder said.

Another Ecology student, Briar Nordstrom, helped seal bean seeds into bags. Even though it seemed like a small task, Nordstrom knew it had a big impact.

“I’ve been interested in Keep Growing Detroit for a very long time,” Nordstrom said. “Even though we’re just bagging beans, it’s contributing to a larger project that I really believe in, which is food sovereignty here in Detroit.”