The city of Aurora continues its tree-planting efforts with spring kickoff event

The city of Aurora continues its tree-planting initiative, "Reinvesting in Aurora's Urban Canopy for Social Equity and Climate Resilience," with a fun joint event in partnership with Sam's Club Volunteers starting at 9 a.m., Tuesday, April 15, at Utah Park, 1800 S. Peoria St.

The community event will include tree-planting activities led by the city of Aurora's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department in collaboration with the Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. Sam's Club Volunteers will plant 10 new trees, as part of their nationwide community day of service.

"As the most diverse city in Colorado, Aurora has large communities of immigrants and refugees, and many of these communities reside in areas with the oldest trees and many open planting spaces," said Ricardo Gambetta, Manager of the Office of International and Immigrant Affairs (OIIA). By focusing program efforts in these areas, the city of Aurora will promote equity, enhance the urban forest, improve public health and foster environmental resilience, thus supporting key initiatives stated in the city's Immigrant Integration Plan."

"Greener Communities, Brighter Futures" is the motto of this initiative, which, in its first component, focuses on extending the lifespan of mature trees through tree planting, maintenance and pruning while also introducing a variety of new tree species in local neighborhoods. The second component involves engaging local communities in tree planting, tree pruning and other educational activities where residents can also learn about the different programs and resources available through the city.

Some of the initiative's accomplishments in the year 2024 included:

• Planting 105 new trees in three public parks.

• Removing 39 dead trees from public parks and facilities.

• Updating city inventories with 1,421 existing park trees.

• Participation in more than 40 community events reaching out to more than 3,500 residents during the past 10 months.

• Increased participation of immigrants and refugees in several OIIA sponsored programs such Natural Helpers, ESL and Citizenship Classes and cultural activities among others.

This initiative seeks to plant 2,000 trees across culturally diverse neighborhoods in Aurora through 2028, and this year's goal is to plant 1,000 more trees. For more information and upcoming events, visit AuroraGov.org/GreenerCommunities.

"Reinvesting in Aurora's Urban Canopy for Social Equity and Climate Resilience" is funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to support the city's urban forest growth and maintenance. The grant is part of a $1.5 billion investment in the USDA Forest Service's nationwide Urban and Community Forestry Program, made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act.