200 New Trees Are Coming to Some of Colorado's Most Polluted Communities

Anita Mercado has lived near one of the country's most heavily polluted areas for 46 years. Now, she and Groundwork Denver are taking steps to change that.

Groundwork Denver will plant 200 trees throughout Commerce City and Sheridan from April 19 to May 4 during the first "Anita Needs a Tree" campaign — the largest tree-planting event the organization has hosted since it was founded in 2002.

Mercado asked Groundwork Denver to help her Commerce City community after she heard the group had planted 100 trees in Sheridan in 2023 to improve the town's tree canopy. The organization works with local youth and volunteers on environmental activities like planting trees or cleaning parks and rivers.

Throughout the years, 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."

Around 150 volunteers will plant 100 trees at residential addresses in Sheridan between April 19 and 20, and then 100 more at residential addresses in Commerce City and unincorporated Adams County on May 4, according to organizers.

Trees were given to Commerce City residents for free and to Sheridan residents for $25 each.

Colorado's 80216 zip code, covering part of Commerce City and north Denver, ranked as the most polluted zip code in America in a 2017 study, due largely to its proximity to major highways, an oil refinery and hazardous waste.

More recently, a study published in February found that Commerce City and north Denver bear the brunt of the metro area's pollution, which disproportionately impacts people of color due to historic redlining practices.

Racially diverse and low-income areas also tend to have fewer trees, which means they miss out on benefits like cleaning the air of pollutants, providing shade from extreme heat and even reducing stormwater runoff to prevent flooding.

"We're thrilled to be able to respond in a big way to input from amazing community members like Anita, who know firsthand what it's like to be affected by these issues," Groundwork Denver Executive Director Cindy Chang says in a statement. "By coming together to plant trees, we create a healthier and more vibrant environment for current and future generations."

It's too late to get your own tree this time around, but residents of metro Denver can join Groundwork Denver's list to be notified about future events. You can also sign up to volunteer or donate to the cause at groundworkcolorado.org.