News In Brief
Bike To Work On June 22
Bike to Work Day is an annual Denver-area event held the fourth Wednesday in June. People who normally drive alone to work are encouraged to ride their bicycles instead, with the hope that they will be spurred to choose that option on a regular basis.
In 2015, more than 30,000 people took part in Bike to Work Day. This year’s Bike to Work Day is scheduled for June 22. There is no cost to participate. Go to http://biketoworkday.us to register and find out where stations are where you can get free water, snacks and swag.
The Ash Borer Is Coming
Denver’s City Forester is encouraging Denver residents to join the campaign to prepare for the inevitable arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a metallic-green insect that destroys ash trees. The flying pest, which was discovered in Boulder in September 2013, hasn’t yet been detected in Denver.
However, one in six trees in the City and County of Denver is an ash tree, so it’s vital that residents understand how they can save their ash trees and protect the city’s urban forest.
In May, the city kicked off an educational campaign, called Be A Smart Ash, to raise awareness about the devastating insect. Visiting BeASmartAsh.org for valuable resources such as how to identify ash trees, signs of EAB infestation, and resources to help residents take action by treating or removing ash trees on their property.
While the EAB has wings, it typically doesn’t travel more than a half-mile from its emergence tree. Most long-distance travel of the EAB has been traced to human movement of ash tree firewood or nursery stock. Movement of other untreated ash wood and wood chips greater than one inch also presents a risk.
The Office of the City Forester, a division of Denver Parks and Recreation, will care for ash trees on city property, including parks. However, residents are responsible for caring for ash trees on private property.
Paper Pots and Seeds Ready-To-Plant
In mid-May Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Executive Director Rebecca Born organized a fun and educational workshop and volunteer event. The group of women included Born, Carla Finch, Becky Richardson, Patty Mead and Shawn Gour. During the demo, they made seed paper and seed mats that get planted directly into the soil, saving time and money when planting sometimes-finicky seeds, and also reducing the need to thin them later. The group also made biodegradable paper pots from recycled Greater Park Hill newspapers. The newspaper’s printer is proud of being a “green” printer and only uses safe, nontoxic soy based inks. The projects were used to fill sustainable Garden-in-a-Box kits that were given to families in the neighborhood on May 21. Photos by Cara DeGette
