DENVER — It is the time of year where shade can be needed to dodge the sun. However, in the heart of West Denver, it can be very challenging to find shade with the lack of trees in this area.
Lindsay Cutler, program director for The Park People, explained the Barnum neighborhood is one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city because of the absence of tree canopy.
"This neighborhood has a fraction of the trees as some of our more well-treated neighborhoods and that translates to over a 15-degree difference in the heat on hot days," Cutler said.
Denver7's Maggy Wolasnke reports on the effort to plant more trees in West Denver in the video player below:
On a hot day, she explained it will feel cooler in other neighborhoods like Wash Park or Park Hill, as there is more coverage and more trees. Looking around the Barnum neighborhood, the main source of shade is it the park and not in people's front yards.
"The history of heat in these neighborhoods is very clear," said Cutler. "These neighborhoods were redlined in the 1930s, which drove investment into other areas of our city. And those investments weren't just rec centers and pools, but it was sidewalks and trees. And we see the effect of that in our infrastructure, health and well-being today.
The nonprofit organization helps community members by planting trees and improving parks to make the city healthier. Cutler led a group in planting several trees for one neighbor in Barnum.
"So the goal here is to really bring these neighborhoods up to the same level as the rest of our city," said Cutler. "Because everybody deserves shade. Everybody deserves trees. We've been doing this work since 1969. This neighborhood here, this resident here, was connected to us through Denver Digs Trees, our flagship tree planting program through which we offer a thousand trees every single year to Denver residents."
Michelle Black's front yard was the one getting some new greenery. She has lived in the area for 17 years and has noticed the changes that have come with calling this area home, including the lack of trees.
"I would say very little, aside from kind of the park area which is maintained by the city," said Black. "In the community, we just don't have a lot of trees getting planted, especially in the springtime. I just haven't seen much."
Black said she saw the application for Denver Digs Trees and submitted one for her front yard. The program helps provide trees for all by offering free and low-cost trees to Denver residents. She was extremely grateful to see the new trees in her yard and the long-term benefits it will bring.
"There's definitely a need and my place was pretty barren," said Black. "Now to have this tree here and I'm also told by the experts here that it will eventually save in water, so it's actually going to help in more ways."
Adriana Lopez, with the Valverde Neighborhood Association, explained The Park People is a nonprofit that receives funding from the Prosperity Denver Fund which is a small city sales tax that supports Denver students through college scholarship and career training apprenticeships.
"It really is an ecosystem. Everything from Denver taxpayers supporting Prosperity Denver Fund to The Park People to the wonderful participants who get to participate in the pre-apprenticeship program through Tree Force. It's really, really powerful and then just being connected to neighbors, it's this really powerful ecosystem of support," Lopez said.
