Anita Needs a Tree!
This Earth Month, we need your help getting over 100 trees right into neighbors' yards in the metro Denver area. Join us by getting a tree, helping to plant them, or by making a donation to make sure more trees get int he ground and are well-cared for.
Get Involved with Anita Needs a Tree!
Click through the items below for more information on the ways you can contribute this Earth Month.
Who's Anita?
Anita is that smiley lady in the photo above - a joyful, community-minded, and long-time resident of Commerce City, Colorado. She's an active member of her community who's committed to environmental justice in her area, which is home to lots of amazing people like her, but also a lot of heat and pollution, and very few trees. She's also toasty. Anita needs some relief from the heat. Anita needs to be able to cool off, safely breathe the air and drink the water, and not have to worry about flooding all the time. Anita needs a tree!
Of course, it's not just Anita we're talking about. Several parts of metro Denver are as short on trees as they are full of wonderful-yet-toasty people who deserve so much more. From Sheridan to Anita's home in Commerce City, many of our neighborhoods have so few trees and so much heavy industry that it doesn't just cause discomfort – it has a real impact on the health of people and the rest of our ecosystem.
This is no coincidence. It's environmental injustice, and we all have a role to play in making things right.
Anita asked Groundwork Denver to help get trees out to her neck of the woods (or lack of woods, we should say). Since then, we've been laying the groundwork together to get leafy friends out to neighbors like her.
Why Trees?
Trees keep things cool. They clean the air, filter toxins from polluted storm water runoff, prevent flooding, and provide a beautiful habitat where we can literally – and figuratively – breathe a little easier. That's especially important in areas like Anita's, where heavy industry and development cause poor air and water quality, heat, flooding, and of course a lack of beautiful green spaces for people to recreate and gather. If you want to learn more about local environmental justice issues, we've linked our Climate Safe Neighborhoods analysis above.
Nature knows no boundaries, so when we focus our efforts in areas that are most impacted, we're contributing to a healthier, equitable, and sustainable future for us all. Thankfully, we have leafy friends, Anita, and a powerful community of people like you on our side.
We Need You!
If you're like Anita and could use a tree, or you want to come along in solidarity, or both, you can take action right now.
Anita Needs a Tree Partners
Past Coverage of Anita Needs a Tree
"Throughout the years, [Anita] Mercado says she has watched many trees die in her neighborhood. And the decades of poor air quality have taken a toll on her health, as well, causing her to develop allergic asthma, hurting her vision and forcing her on medication to help her breathe.
'I want kids to be able to breathe," Mercado, 68, says in a statement. "I want to be able to breathe.'"
Have questions or ideas? You're "barking" up the right tree.
Contact our project lead:
Savanna Hanson (they/them/theirs)
Director of Development
Savanna@GroundworkColorado.org
720-470-1831
Sponsor Anita Needs a Tree
Anita Needs a Tree unites hundreds of people who love mother nature for three amazing days of tree planting. Together, we sow a resilient eco-system, cultivate the health of our neighbors, and seed inspiration for further environmental action. When you sponsor Anita Needs a Tree, your company's commitment to these things is front and center, reaching not just the individuals involved, but people who follow us on our social media, read our newsletter, donate, and visit our website (thousands of people each month!). Align your brand with our mission, and you'll reach more prospective customers who care about where they spend their dollars!
Check out our Anita Needs a Tree sponsorship opportunities by clicking here.