Royal Oak Gets Grant for Planting 100 Trees and Other Ecosystem Improvements

(Erb Family Foundation, Feb. 6, 2023)

Royal Oak, MI – Today the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation announced a $250,000 grant to the Royal Oak Civic Foundation in honor of what would have been Fred A. Erb’s 100th birthday. The funding will make it possible for the City of Royal Oak to plant 100 trees, remove invasive species, make ecosystem improvements, and add park amenities at the Royal Oak Arboretum.

“The arboretum will be a visible way for us to carry on Fred’s legacy for years to come,” said Dr. Neil Hawkins, president of the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. “Fred established his legacy in the building industry and the Erb family was one of the founding families of Royal Oak, arriving in the area in the 1800s. As we reflect on Fred’s widespread impact, this grant means a lot to the Foundation and the Erb family.”

As a natural-born entrepreneur and high-achiever, Fred Erb touched the lives of thousands of individuals.

His philanthropy and foresight to invest in issues impacting metro Detroit and the Great Lakes region created lasting change. Since its founding in 2009, the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation has made more than $100 million in grants. Its investments have been guided by Fred and Barbara’s commitment to advancing sustainable business practices, improving the health of the Great Lakes, and ensuring the vibrancy of the region’s cultural treasures and Detroit’s jazz legacy.

Read more about the Royal Oak Arboretum project and the Foundation’s celebration of Fred Erb’s remarkable legacy by clicking the button below.