For our fourth challenge, fellows partnered with the Belle Isle Conservancy, whose mission is to protect, preserve, restore and enhance the natural environment, historic structures and unique character of Belle Isle as a public park for all to enjoy  – now and forever.

Fellows were asked, “How might we creatively convey facts and stories about Detroit’s compelling assets on Belle Isle in order to enhance the park experience and foster a greater appreciation and emotional connection?” They conquered the question in four teams, each focusing on a distinct aspect of Belle Isle: the Aquarium, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the James Scott Memorial Fountain, and the Mesic Wetlands Flatwoods.

Our challenge began with a deep dive into the Belle Isle Conservancy. We learned from Brittany, Stephanie, and Michele that the park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, whose work can also be found in New York’s Central Park and Boston’s Emerald Necklace. Two of our featured assets, the aquarium, and conservatory, were designed by the famous architect, Albert Kahn. Teams were then sent to explore Belle Isle for themselves, using a self-guided tour and map as guidance. But one of the biggest lessons for the Conservancy was that it was hard to navigate Belle Isle, even with the map, because the map didn’t denote which of the roads were one way, lacked parking lots, and completely eliminated the forest!  

Fellows Jarret Waddy, Mariisa Franz, Laura Winningham and Ian McCain uncover insights from their interviews during a design thinking session

Teams spent the next three weeks interviewing family, friends, and people they met on Belle Isle for the first time to gather over 30 stories! After capturing interviews, teams participated in a design thinking session to uncover any themes or major ideas associated with their particular Belle Isle spots.

The Aquarium team discovered the significance of their asset and the reason it was refurbished: to allow memories to be passed along for generations to come.  The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory team discovered a tropical escape within the city of Detroit. The Scott Fountain team discovered a getaway from the getaway, a place for reflection. And the Mesic Wetland Flatwoods team discovered a beautiful natural system that, just like the Detroit neighborhoods, needs to be preserved so that its diversity can thrive.

The memories and feelings that surround Belle Isle are powerful. Sharing this emotional connection that Detroiters have with Belle Isle with all who visit will allow newcomers to understand the island, and allow people who have been coming to the island for years to learn something new.

Each team gave the Belle Isle Conservancy all of the video footage, photographs, and audio files they collected over the course of the five weeks. To help the Conservancy sort through that wealth of media, each team identified two videos they felt told the most compelling stories. Finally, the teams each wrote a historical context to be featured on the Belle Isle Conservancy website.

We saw teams really engage with the Detroit community throughout this challenge, and they had a great time doing so! We’re so proud of the work they accomplished, and can’t wait to see how these storytelling contributions will affect visitors of the Belle Isle Conservancy!

This blog was written by fellows Annie Duerr and Poonam Narotam who were Project Coordination Leads for this challenge.