Does the name mean anything?

Grove Climate Group gets its name from a roughly 25-acre parcel of woods on the Britt Family Farm in northern Michigan. The farm has been in existence for more than one hundred years. It has adapted and changed over time – from farming animals to crops, and now, solar.

The grove is unique for a few different reasons. First, it still has virgin timber, some of which are estimated to be over 300 years old. Second, one single tree from the grove built our family’s home on the farm. Third, it has encountered forest fires, invasive species, developers, researchers and politicians, and outlived them all.

The trees are of different varieties; hard maple, beech, hemlock, ironwood and ash. Some are as large as 12-14 feet in circumference and range in height from just under to well over 100 feet. The tree canopy creates a shaded floor in the summer, which is where we learned to shoot skeet, ride four wheelers, go for a walk, or simply escape for an hour or two.

In our family, we simply refer to this place as “the grove.”

Places like the grove and our family farm continue to be under threat from the impacts of climate change. But if we work together, like the different trees in that place, and adapt, like the farm business has done, we can overcome these challenges. The grove is a constant reminder not only of what is at stake, but of the boundless opportunity and optimism we can enjoy if we get it right.

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