1) New Trees for Northeast Denver

Volunteers planted 140 new trees in Central Park and along the Greenway stretching from the dog park at Syracuse St. and Montview Blvd. to Westerly Creek School this spring. The planting was part of the Mile High Tree Champions Program organized by The Park People. The non-profit works with local and national businesses and organizations to buy trees which are planted by employee volunteers. The organizations that stepped up included UPS, Accenture, Denver Mile High Rotary, and United Airlines. The Mile High Tree Champions Program was started in 2010 and has planted more than 2,200 trees in Denver’s parks, school yards, and public housing complexes.

 

Morgan Wolfe, program manager for The Park People, says the Champions program provides much-needed trees for communities, but also provides value for the volunteers who plant them. “Everybody works really closely together so there’s a team building aspect, and they all feel really good about the benefits they’re providing.”

In addition to the Champions program, The Park People offer a program called Denver Digs Trees that provides thousands of free and affordable trees to residents throughout Denver. For more information, visit TheParkPeople.org

2) Travel Down Under at the Denver Zoo

A new exhibit is open at the Denver Zoo that offers a chance for visitors to get up close to animals native to Australia. There’s a first of its kind immersive pathway as part of the Down Under exhibit where people can get close to wallabies. Surrounding areas feature tree kangaroos and cassowaries. Waterwise landscaping was created to mimic the native ranges of the animals and there’s artwork of First Nations people throughout the exhibit. Australian poet and artist Kirli Saunders contributed several murals to the exhibit.

3) East Colfax Neighbors Take on Gun Violence

Residents of the East Colfax neighborhood are looking for solutions to gun violence in the area. The Disarmament and Economic Justice Initiative was formed to begin a dialogue within the community around “the over-abundance of firearms (both legally-owned and illegal ‘ghost guns’).”

During the group’s initial meeting, residents talked about feeling unsafe walking to their cars at night and the sounds of weapons shot off nearby. In a statement to Front Porch, group organizers say they want to come up with a plan to “disarm the community while addressing the underlying causes of economic injustice and poverty that breed violent crime.”

The neighbors are planning to pursue legal action against the state for “the lack of regulation around firearms.” The planned lawsuit would seek monetary compensation that will be used to help community members “gain access to economic resources, to empower them to purchase the homes that they currently rent, and to thereby combat the forces of gentrification that are already encroaching upon our community.”

Organizers say the goal of the lawsuit is to “make it too expensive for the State of Colorado to continue to fail to keep us safe from firearms.”

4) Supporting the Bears at Stanley Marketplace

Before it was Stanley Marketplace, the facility opened in 1954 as Stanley Aviation, a company that produced military airplane ejection seats and capsules. At one point, live bears were used to test the seats.

Stephanie Shearer, owner of Trunk Nouveau inside the marketplace, is on a mission to give back to the bears, righting the wrongs of the past. Shearer shares her passion and the store’s profits with The Spectacled Bear Conservation Society, an organization that supports conservation and provides women with jobs connected to protecting critical bear habitats in Peru.

The small black felted bears, known as felties, are created by women in Peru and 100 percent of the sale of the bears goes to the conservation group, in addition to 6 percent of overall store sales. The bears are popular during December as people buy them to use as ornaments, but they’re available at the store any time of year.

Shearer says it’s important to give back to the community as a small business and hopes the giving spirit is contagious. “We really brought it into our mission as a small business and we have tried to encourage others to pick a nonprofit. Every small business I know of cares about something or somebody.”

Openings and Closings

5) Spinelli’s Market East is open on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

6) Pearl Market & Wine opens in July at 9196 57th Ave.

7) Inside Stanley Marketplace: 

    Iron & Resin offers a new place for men’s apparel.

    The Element Knife Company has moved out and will be opening a new store in LoHi.

    Misaki Sushi will open this summer in its new location inside the former space of Mondo Market.

    Miette et Chocolat is opening a new sister concept in August—La Creperie d’Audrey will serve crepes and smoothies.