Then And Now

Sustainability, Tree Canopies, and Generous Spirits

By Sierra Fleenor

Executive Director, GPHC

Since I took over as executive director in January, organizing the paperwork at Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. has been enlightening. In the late 70s and early 80s, I found that while the focus on integration and housing continued, a new interest in sustainability within our neighborhood arose.

One program in that vein was called the Park Hill Self-Help Project. It was aimed at increasing the number of trees in the right-of-way, repairing sidewalks, and inspiring neighbors to meet one another north of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

While there isn’t documentation on this project’s success, we know that any effort to increase the number of trees in our neighborhood is imperative, particularly for those of us who do not live on tree-lined streets. In fact, the urban canopy has been linked to reducing pollution, lowering the temperature during the hot months, reducing criminal activity, and creating a sense of well-being.

Another sustainability project from that time period was the development of the GPHC greenhouse, in the garden behind our office at 2823 Fairfax. The greenhouse was constructed with funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, and the project also included educational workshops for Park Hill neighbors on solar energy for greenhouses and water heating.

According to a GPHC article from May 19, 1982, the greenhouse itself was to be constructed and managed by volunteers. We know the workshop was successful because we now have a beautiful, large greenhouse filled with … stuff. Unfortunately, over the years, the greenhouse has become a repository for items to be stored and we’d like to remedy that.

If you or someone you know has a big green thumb and an interest in helping us get this magnificent 35-year-old greenhouse back up and running, please let us know.

Reducing carbon footprints

In the spirit of our focus on sustainability during the 70s and 80s, I’d like to take a moment to highlight some great ways to get engaged with sustainability in Greater Park Hill. These are all programs sponsored by other organizations. We’re happy to spread the word for these great organizations, but cannot answer any questions regarding their programs. Please contact them directly.

• Do you use a gas mower or leaf blower? If so, you might be contributing to the nearly 10 percent of Denver metro area’s ozone pre-cursor emissions. To help residents reduce their carbon footprint, the Mow Down Pollution lawn mower exchange program will trade your old gas powered mower for a reduced-cost, environmentally friendly electric mower. Check out their website for dates and how to sign up: mowdownpollution.org or call 303-629-5450.

• Denver’s Department of Environmental Health hosts the Denver Energy Challenge, which provides residents with an energy action plan, based on your current use and which changes will give you the biggest bang for your buck. The evaluation is free and you can start the process by visiting denverenergy.org or calling 720-865-5452.

• A great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to put fewer items in a landfill. Learning to compost is an easy way to put your food scraps to use. You can either sign up for the city’s compost service for a quarterly fee at denvergov.org/compostsignup  (phone: 720-913-1311) or you can compost in your own backyard. To learn how, attend one of the free classes offered by Denver Urban Gardens and the City and County of Denver. Visit dug.org/compost/ or call 303-292-9900

• The last program I’ll highlight is Denver Digs Trees and their Arbor Day Tree Sale. Hosted by The Park People, Denver Digs Trees is an annual tree giveaway. The deadline for that program has passed, but you can still get affordable fruiting or flowering trees at the Arbor Day Tree Sale on April 15 from noon to 2 p.m. Ornamental and shade trees will be available for purchase ($45-$65) on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit theparkpeople.org or call 303-722-6262

Here on the home front

Here at GPHC, Inc., we have several sustainability efforts including our Garden in a Box giveaway on May 13 and educational series (date to be announced), our free farm stand (which starts up again in June), and our food pantry, to name a few. Not everyone thinks of the food pantry as a sustainability effort, but neighbors who donate food to provide nutritional support to other neighbors seems like a pretty great example of sustainability to me.

If you’re interested in donating items for our food programs, we have some specific requests. We need: cans of beef stew (16 oz.), boxes of mac and cheese, boxes of individual instant oatmeal packets, individually wrapped cereal and granola bars, individual fruit cups or applesauce, small boxes of raisins, individually wrapped peanut butter and cheese crackers, canned meats (such as salmon, spam, chicken), canned fruit, hygiene products (including bars of soap, deodorant, chapstick, toothbrushes, travel-size toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner), tampons, toilet paper and pet food. We always need reusable, paper, and plastic grocery bags for our clients to use.

We accept fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food donations Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at our office  at 2823 Fairfax St. If those hours do not work for you, you can drop them off at the Park Hill Branch of Denver Public Library (at Montview and Dexter) or at Cake Crumbs (at 23rd and Kearney) during their business hours. They’ll make sure we get the donations.

Another area of need we have is for our new large planters we received from CoCal Landscape. We would love to get these awesome new planters filled in time for the growing season, so any way you can assist, including volunteering labor, would be appreciated!

We’ve got several other sustainability projects in the wings, so if you’d like to get involved or have a great idea for a project, shoot us an email at info@greaterparkhill.org or call me at 303-388-0918.

Thank you for all you do to support GPHC! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with community announcements and events @GPHCDenver.