SCRGP News
Archive
2011
Colorado Gives Day a Huge Success!
December 10, 2011
On Tuesday December 6th, Colorado Gives Day raised 12 million dollars for more than 900 local charities. In the SCRGP's first year of participating in CO Gives Day, we raised almost $4,000 in this 24 hour giving period. Thank you so much to all of our generous donors!
If you haven't made your end-of-year donation to the Greenway yet, it's not too late! Click here to make your annual contribution, which will go toward improving the trail, funding volunteer projects, and providing environmental education for at-risk youth in 2012.
Happy holidays from all of us here at the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership!
Announcing Colorado Garden Show Grant
December 2, 2011
We are pleased to announce that SCRGP recently received a grant from the Colorado Garden Show! The grant will be used to renovate the Smith Road Trailhead in Denver, including installing a xeriscape demonstration garden, adding more signage, and improving the parking area. Click here to read the press release.
For more information please contact Caroline Fry, SCRGP communications manager, at (303) 468-3262.
Regarding Oil Spill on Sand Creek
November 30, 2011
Several of you have called or written to ask us about the spill in Sand Creek that has received media attention. We have received updates from Suncor regarding the spill - click here to read a press release from Suncor. We will continue to post information as we receive it.
The spill is not near the trail - and the Sand Creek Regional Greenway trail is open for use. The spill is at the confluence of Sand Creek and the South Platte River, about 1/8 of a mile from the trail.
For more information, please contact SCRGP Executive Director Kate Kramer at (303) 468-3263.
SCRGP to Participate in CO Gives Day
November 1, 2011
We are excited to announce that SCRGP will be a participating organization in Colorado Gives Day on December 6th, 2011! Last year, Colorado Gives Day raised $8.4 million dollars in donations for Colorado charities. For more information about Colorado Gives Day, please click here.
Click the link above to view our Giving First profile. Stay tuned for more information about Colorado Gives Day, coming soon!
UPS Employees Volunteer on Greenway
October 24, 2011
A huge thank you to the nearly 40 employees from the Commerce City UPS who dedicated their morning to picking up trash along Sand Creek Park on Saturday, October 22. We collected over 50 bags of trash that was left over from July's flash flood, and even pulled a shopping cart out of the creek. For more pictures of the event please check out our Facebook page. UPS has been a great partner over the years and we look forward to working with them again soon!
Metro Wastewater Project near Havana
October 24, 2011
From November 7-10, Metro Wastewater will be finishing a project along the trail west of Havana Street. Please watch for trucks on the trail between Havana and the Smith Road trailhead. The trucks and construction equipment will be working beside the trail, not on it, so the trail will be passable but please use caution. To report any problems, please call (303) 468-3260.
2011 Trail User Survey Report
October 15, 2011
The results of our 2011 Trail User Survey are now available to the public. Click here to read the executive summary of the survey's findings. We thank all of our trail users who took the time to either stop and chat with us on the trail or fill out an electronic survey. The statistical data and trail user feedback that we collected will be used to improve the SCRG for years to come.
Trail Re-Opened near Havana
October 3 , 2011
The closed section of the SCRG trail between Havana Street to the Smith Road trailhead has been officially RE-OPENED! The trail was closed due to Denver Water's installation of a recycled water pipeline along Havana Street, which cut off approximately one mile of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway trail. We appreciate our trail users' patience in dealing with this matter over the past weeks. Happy trails!
Announcing Grants from REI & Xcel Energy
September 23 , 2011
We are excited to announce two new grants that were recently awarded to SCRGP from REI and Xcel Energy. REI's grant will be used to expand and improve our new youth outreach program and neighborhood volunteer team. Xcel Energy’s contribution will allow for streambank improvements to two to three miles of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway in Commerce City. We would like to thank both Xcel Energy and REI for their generous contributions and continued partnership with the SCRGP.
 
Xcel Energy Employee Planting Day
September 14 , 2011
We were thrilled to host a group of 20 employees from Xcel Energy on the Greenway last Saturday, September 10th, for a morning of volunteer activities. We planted 35 native trees and shrubs along the trail near the Dahlia trailhead as part of Serve Colorado’s 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Thanks to our friends at Xcel Energy for their hard work!
2011 REI/SCRGP Volunteer Day a Huge Success!
September 5 , 2011
On Saturday September 3rd, over 100 volunteers gathered at the Smith Road trailhead in Denver for a morning of trash collection, invasive species removal, and trail maintenance. Thanks so much to our FANTASTIC volunteers for their hard work, as well as REI for sponsoring the event and giving out great t-shirts! A big thanks also goes to the Denver, Commerce City, and Aurora Parks and Recreation Departments, as well as Einstein's Bagels and Starbucks for their generous food and coffee donations. See you next year!
2011 SCRG Trail User Survey
August 24, 2011
You may have noticed us out on the Greenway this summer – passing out water and energy bars, counting you as you zoomed past, or chatting with you if you stopped. We have been conducting informal surveys of trail users using the Sand Creek Regional Greenway, and recently created an online survey to continue this project. Our goal is to learn who is using the Greenway and to see how we can better serve our users. We will post our findings in an Executive Summary which will be posted to our website in early October. If you have any questions about this survey, please call (303) 468-3262.
Announcing Eighth Annual REI/SCRGP Volunteer Day!
August 5, 2011
On Saturday, September 3rd from 8:00 am to noon, REI will partner with the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership, Denver Parks and Recreation, Aurora Parks Recreation & Open Space, and Commerce City Parks & Recreation, to host a work day service project along Sand Creek. We need volunteers to help pick up trash and clean up damage from the recent flash floods. Participants will receive an REI t-shirt, Starbucks coffee, Einstein Bagels, and lunch after our trail work.
For more information and to register, please visit: volunteeroutdoors.net. We hope to see you there!
Temporary Trail Closure near Havana
August 19, 2011
A section of the SCRG trail will be CLOSED from Friday, August 26 through Friday, September 9 from Havana west to the Smith Road Trailhead. Denver Water is installing a recycled water pipeline along Havana, cutting off approximately 1 mile of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway trail. To read Denver Water's press release about this closure, click here. We tried extremely hard to keep the trail open, and are very sorry for this inconvenience.
Replacement of I-70 Bridge over SCRG
July 30 , 2011
Over the next twelve months (August 2011 to August 2012), travel on the SCRG trail may be disrupted by a major construction project above and around the trail under I-70, just east of Quebec. CDOT and their contractors will be building a new bridge over Sand Creek – and the trail goes under the old bridge. CDOT and the contractors have promised to make every effort to keep the trail open during daylight hours. PLEASE follow the instructions of the Flag Person if there need to be temporary closures of the trail. The trail WILL BE CLOSED AT NIGHT!
New Trail Connections Announced
June 1, 2011
U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Colorado native Ken Salazar has announced a proposal to connect the Denver Greenway system with new trails and open spaces in Colorado. His plans include connecting the Sand Creek Regional Greenway to the recently opened Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, as well as connecting the greenway system to Rocky Mountain National Park. Stay tuned for more information about this new exciting project.
Rocky Mountain Wildlife Film Festival
May 7, 2011
Featuring filmmakers and dozens of award-winning documentaries, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Film Festival will debut May 20-22 and run again on May 27-29 at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City. Tickets can now be purchased at http://ffrwr.org/nature-shop/film-festival/ and a full listing of the film offerings can be viewed there as well. We hope to see you there!
Earth Day 2011 a Huge Success!
April 25, 2011
A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in our 2 weeks of volunteer events leading up to Earth Day! On 4/15, a group of Greek Life students from the University of Denver painted cottonwoods along the trail with a mixture of paint and sand to repel beavers. On 4/16, the Morris Heights Neighborhood Assocation dedicated a morning to picking up trash along the trail. And on Earth Day, student volunteers from Johnson & Wales University planted cottonwoods, willows, and transplanted rabbit brush on the Greenway. Pictures from all events can be found on our Facebook page. Thanks for all you do to make the earth, and our Greenway, a better place!
Attention All Trail Users:
Spring 2011 Construction and Trail Detours
April 4, 2011
Construction season has arrived! Two areas of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway in Denver will have major construction activities “above” the trail: near the trail intersection with I-70 and Quebec, and near Smith Road and Xanthia. This construction will mean short closures from April onward. Click here for detailed construction and detour information...
Announcing New Volunteer Team
February 7 , 2011
The Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership is pleased to announce the formation of our signature volunteer group, the Neighborhood Partners Environmental Team. This team is a collaboration between the Sand Creek Regional Greenway, Westerly Creek, and Bluff Lake Nature Center, and volunteers will have the opportunity to work in all three locations throughout the year.
We are currently looking for individuals and families to participate in our team! Team members will meet on the first Saturday of each month during the 2011 season from 9 AM until noon. Volunteer activities will include removing invasive species, picking up trash, planting native trees and shrubs, removing graffiti, repairing the trail, and more.
The Neighborhood Partners team is a great way to give back to your community for volunteers who have worked on the Greenway before as well as new volunteers. We welcome singles, couples, students, retirees, parents, and children over five: everyone is encouraged to join!
Our first volunteer event will be held on Saturday, March 5th at the Smith Road trailhead (near the Smith Road and Havana Street intersection). To sign up for the Neighborhood Partners volunteer team, please complete our web sign-up form. For more information, please contact Caroline Fry, Community Outreach Manager, at cfry@sandcreekgreenway.org or (303) 468-3262.
Announcing the Next Generation Partners
January 11 , 2011
The Sand Creek Regional Greenway has started a great outreach program for middle and high school students who live along the Greenway in southern Commerce City, northeast Denver, and northwest Aurora. The Next Generation Partners of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway will provide oudoor environmental education, volunteer opportunities, and recreational activities on the Greenway this spring and summer.
This valuable program is being made possible through a generous grant from REI, a supporter and ally of the Greenway since 2004 that sponsors our annual volunteer day each summer. The REI grant program advances community engagement in environmental stewardship, outdoor recreation and volunteerism, and also supports programs that connect young people to nature.
Students in the Next Generation Partners program will learn about topics such as community service, native species, water quality issues, the importance of green space in urban areas, and environmental conservation. The goal of the Next Generation Partners is to provide students with an opportunity to get to know their own “wilderness in the city” while simultaneously giving them the tools and knowledge they need to preserve it. Participating schools currently include North Middle School of Science and Technology, the Odyssey School, Bruce Randolph Middle School, Wyatt-Edison Charter School, Aurora Academy, and more.
Although our spring program is currently filled, our summer program is still open for groups to register. For more information, please contact Caroline Fry, Community Outreach Manager at the Greenway, at cfry@sandcreekgreenway.org or (303) 468-3262. |
