English

Volunteers plant 50 trees in Del Mar Park neighborhood of Aurora

Volunteers Plant 50 Trees in Aurora's Del Mar Park Cuidado de árboles en Colorado

SHADE AND COOLING| AFC+A and CREA Results tema planting a tree in Denver. (Picture/El Comercio de Colorado)

INITIATIVE BY NIAGARA CARES, ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION, AND AFC+A WITH CREA RESULTS, AMIGOS DE MÉXICO, AND THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO.

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

Haga click aquí para leer la versión en español

On Wednesday, September 18, a group of fifty volunteers will plant 50 trees in Del Mar Park in Aurora, Colorado. The planting will include a mix of leafy and fruit-bearing trees. Located in northwest Aurora, near the Denver border, Del Mar Park features various recreational courts, fields, and other facilities that currently lack shade during the hot summer months.

This park is one of the few green spaces accessible to residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, most of which lack tree coverage. Once planted, these trees will provide additional shade and cooling, filter air pollution from the nearby highway, enhance these spaces aesthetically, and improve water quality by reducing stormwater runoff, according to the organizers of this initiative.

Additional Benefit

Furthermore, introducing diverse tree species to the area will help mitigate the widespread damage caused by the invasive emerald ash borer, which is expected to eventually destroy more than 300,000 ash trees in the Denver metropolitan area. The tree planting in Aurora marks the fourth initiative of its kind spearheaded by Niagara Cares and the Arbor Day Foundation.

As a result of these volunteer-driven tree planting events led by these two organizations, 20,000 trees have been planted this year across the southwestern United States. An additional 125,000 trees are expected to be planted before the end of 2024. “Niagara Cares and the Arbor Day Foundation are driving positive environmental impacts and creating healthy spaces in communities throughout the U.S.,” states a bulletin from Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling.

BASEBALL FILED| Del Mark Park. (Picture/City of Aurora)

Local Partners

The involvement of local partners is crucial for this initiative. Americas for Conservation + the Arts (AFC+A) and CREA Results have been chosen as ideal partners due to their experience in tree planting programs in neighborhoods with low tree coverage in Aurora and Denver. These programs not only improve the natural environment but also focus on environmental justice, bringing the benefits of increased tree canopy to communities that have historically been marginalized in environmental terms.

AFC+A and CREA Results have managed to plant nearly 800 trees in Denver with the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience (CASR). At the same time, they have also planted around 285 trees in Aurora, working together with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). In total, they have planted over a thousand trees, contributing to environmental justice in areas in need.

Volunteers Plant 50 Trees in Aurora’s Del Mar Park

Irene Vilar, founder, and executive director of AFC+A, highlights the importance of this collaboration: “As a grassroots organization founded and led by Latinas, seeing coalition-building efforts like this, which connect communities with nature’s health services and the arts, is inspiring. The Arbor Day Foundation and Niagara Cares are helping us move toward environmental justice, which is essential for saving lives and protecting the ecosystems we depend on”.

Additionally, Amigos de México has joined as an important community partner in this initiative. Their work on behalf of the Mexican and Hispanic migrant communities makes them a key ally for this project. Furthermore, the Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation and the city’s Office of International and Refugee Affairs are also collaborating in this effort.